


Sync - A Reylo Fan Fiction

by ElleRen31



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Humor, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Mature Audience, Rey - Freeform, Romance, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoilers, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers, fan fiction, mature themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 07:57:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16132994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleRen31/pseuds/ElleRen31
Summary: COMPLETE! Following the events of The Last Jedi, Rey and Kylo Ren continue to be connected through the Force. The new Supreme Leader struggles to balance his role as leader of the First Order with his conflicting emotions for Rey of the Resistance. Many chapters will be based and titled off of songs that inspired this story. Mature language and themes including future smut.





	1. Pilot

A short time ago in a galaxy far away, following the events of The Last Jedi…..

“We have everything we need.” General Organa told Rey, handing the broken lightsaber back to her.

Rey looked up at the woman in confusion, sadness filling her face. Leia gently touched her cheek.

“Trust in the Force, Rey.” She said before leaving to go speak with the other remaining Resistance members.

Rey stayed sitting, staring down at the broken saber in her hands. She knew nothing of constructing a lightsaber. She had no weapon to use against Ben and the First Order save for blasters, and even then - the Falcon didn’t have an arsenal on board. They needed a base. They needed to refuel. They needed help. They needed hope.

Rey sighed. She turned and looked at Finn in the corner, fiddling with his hands as he sat next to the dark haired girl who was sleeping. The one who had been injured. The one who Finn looked down at with a look Rey recalled he had once looked at her with.

A Porg scurried past her feet squawking, followed closely by BB-8, who beeped angrily at it. He rolled to a stop in front of Rey and gave a few curious beeps and chirps. She smiled at him.

“I’ll be fine, thanks.” She said. She reached down and tickled the underside of his chin, generating a pleased purr from the Droid. The seat shuddered as Poe plopped down next to her.

“That was some flying you did out there.” Poe said, clearly impressed by her. Rey smiled and blushed slightly.

“Thanks.”

“You know, I don’t if Finn told you, but I’m a pretty impressive pilot myself.”

“No, I don’t think he ever mentioned that.” Rey said, Poe’s face falling slightly. BB-8 made a chirp. Poe shot him a look.

“Well I’m sure General Organa wouldn’t mind if I helped Chewie pilot this ship. I mean, I am a Commander - ”

“Captain.” Lieutenant Connix corrected as she walked past the two. BB-8 beeped again, clearly frustrating Poe. Rey smiled and blushed again.

“Regardless.” Poe said, straightening his jacket and running a hand through his hair, “I can help out. But it is your ship after all. It’s your call.”

“That would be great. I really need to take a breather.” Rey said. She looked down at the broken saber in her hands.

General Organa walked past them again, escorted by Connix.

“General!” Poe said, leaping to his feet. 

“Yes Poe?”

“I had an idea about our next course of action.”

Leia sighed, rolling her eyes.

“No, no, no. Hear me out. It doesn’t involve blowing anything up…… yet.”

“Out with it then.” She said.

“We need to refuel. That’s obvious. We need a place to hide out while we await replies to our message and rebuild.”

“I’m well aware.” Leia said.

“We know the First Order is going to try to find us. They know we know this. I was thinking we could go somewhere obvious - so obvious they don’t think we would go there, and therefore don’t come looking for us.” Poe blurted out. 

Leia looked at him for a minute, then at Connix, then back to Poe.

“That’s actually very clever, Poe. Great idea.”

Poe beamed.

“You’re still demoted.” Leia said in reply to his reaction. Poe frowned, jutting out his lips in annoyance. Connix smirked. Rey giggled softly to herself.

“Just where did you have in mind?” She asked.

“Naboo?” Poe said hopefully. Leias eyes lit up. “It’s the next closest planet. They have swamps that can shield the Falcon. There are old hangers with the old droids and ships from the Battle of Naboo that we can occupy. I’m sure the Queen would be more than willing to help us out.” He finished breathlessly.

Leia thought it over for a moment.

“I will speak with the Queen myself.” Leia said. “Until she agrees, we are only stopping to refuel.” She instructed.

“Yes General!” Poe said happily. He raced off towards the cockpit. Leia looked at Rey and gave her a small smile before going to sit with the other Commanders.

Rey got up and walked up to one of the few bedrooms on the ship, the hiss of the door opening and closing behind her a welcoming and familiar sound. She sat down on the edge of her bed and hung her head in her hands, tears welling at her eyes and beginning to fall.

So much death. So much loss. The Resistance had been dwindled to staggering low numbers. Luke was gone. She felt extreme guilt over this. She gulped down a sob, the tears falling more freely now. Her mind wandered to Ben, and how angry he had been down on Crait, sending the fighters to shoot her down. Her vision showed him turning from the Dark side. Luke and Leia knew there was still a sliver of light in him. Rey could feel it too. Why did he have to be this way?

XXX

Ben stomped back onto his ship, grinding his teeth angrily.

“Ren….. I mean, Supreme Leader.” Hux began. “We have the coordinates in the system for Ahch-To. Should we make our way there?”

“No.” Ben said angrily. “Skywalker is dead. There is no need.” He shoved past Hux, making his way to the co-pilots chair.

“Dead?” Hux asked confused. He stared out onto the salty landscape, the blood red underside of the ground looking like a massacre. “But he wasn’t really there.”

“He’s passed on his own.” Ben said, clenching a hand into a fist. He was fuming. Luke died on his own, and not at his hands. He would never get a chance to kill that man. The man that had tried to kill him. The man that had turned him to the Dark side. The man that made him become Kylo Ren.

“I see.” Hux said, a smirk playing at his lips. “Where is our next objective? The ship? With the girl?” He said ‘girl’ with emphasis, seeking to poke at Ben’s emotions. It worked.

Ben stood up and got within inches of Hux’s face.

“I AM THE SUPREME LEADER AND WE WILL DO WHAT I SAY.” He screamed. The pilot flinched as Ben heaved himself back into his chair. Hux wiped at his face.

“Supreme Leader.” Hux cooed. “They are bound to be refueling. The more time they have away from us--”

Ben shot Hux a glare and he stepped back and was quiet.

The cockpit was tense as Ben mulled things over. That blasted ship. That piece of garbage. That damn Rey and her friends…. And his mother…..

“We go back to the main ship.” Ben said sharply.

“Supreme Leader--” Hux began to interrupt.

“Strengthen the troops. I will not be humiliated again.” He barked.

“Yes Supreme Leader.” The pilot said as they began the route back to the cruiser.

Once back on the Cruiser, Hux pestered about Phasma’s replacement as they walked past the wreckage from the escape of the traitor Finn and the Resistance girl.

“I leave that to you General. I’m off to my quarters. Do not disturb me until we reach the outer rim.” Ben demanded.

“As you wish Supreme Leader.” He turned on his heel and headed off towards the command deck.

Ben huffed off to his room on the cruiser. The Stormtroopers marched past, hugging close to the walls of the hall to avoid him.

He punched the button releasing the door to his room. He entered and kicked at a chair in anger as he made his way to the bathroom.

He wiped his face off with a damp towel and spat in the sink, the taste of the salt from Crait still lingering his mouth. He touched his scar with his gloved hand and flinched at the thought of how he received it.

Damn girl and her friends with the Resistance. Outsmarting him and escaping in his fathers damn ship, thanks to his good for nothing Uncle. The longer Rey was around with the Falcon, he would be constantly reminded of Han and the feeling of igniting his saber in his fathers heart.

A soft sound from out in his room stirred him from his thoughts. He grabbed for his saber on his belt. It was probably Hux, ignoring his orders to leave him alone - as usual. Ben looked out into his bedroom, preparing to ignite his saber. Rey was sitting on the edge of his bed, crying, her arm wraps damp from wiping away tears. They had connected.

XXX

“What are you doing here.” He said, still holding his unlit saber in his hand. Rey jumped and turned around. She had not sensed the connection in her state of emotions. She hastily wiped at her face, backing away.

“Why is this still happening.” She managed to choke out. “Snoke is dead.”

“If I knew how this happened, I would make sure it never happens again.” Ben snapped at her. She blinked her tear stained eyes at him, and Ben instinctively lowered his saber. It was quiet for a moment, save for her sniffles.

“Are you coming after us?” She asked quietly. Ben ignored her and turned around to a counter with a cabinet and started pulling out a glass and a silver bottle.

“Why is this happening.” She asked again. He continued to ignore her as he poured the contents of the bottle into the glass.

“The Force.” He said gruffly, before raising the glass to his lips and drinking.

“Yes, but why.” She asked, clearly annoyed.

“I… I don’t know.” He continued to sip his drink. It was still quiet and awkward. She was still there.

“Luke is gone.” Rey said, stating the obvious. She knew he knew. He refilled his drink.

“Why did you do it.” She asked after a minute. “My vision….. You were supposed to turn.” She trailed off as Ben whirled towards her.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He spat. “I offered you the chance to rule with me! You humiliated me! I am the Supreme Leader now! I can destroy you!” He shouted. As much as he wanted her to cower from his harsh words, she stood firm.

“I have not lost hope.” She finally spoke. He nearly laughed. His mothers favorite word. He opened his mouth to snarkily reply when Rey was clearly distracted by something happening on her side of the connection.

“I’ll be right out!” She called.

“Who is there.” Ben snapped, unable to control his mouth.

“None of your business.” Rey said.

“Is it the Traitor?” He said, stepping forward, his grip tightening on his saber. The look on her face told him ‘no’.

A faded voice came from the connection.

“I can’t figure out how to work the controls!”

Ben recognized it as the voice of the pilot, Poe. The one he had interrogated not too long ago.

“I’ll be right out.” She repeated again. She gave Ben one last look of sadness and confusion and the connection was cut off.

Ben threw his glass at the wall, shards ricocheting into several directions. He flipped on his saber and began to hack the bar counter into pieces. He angrily screamed as he let his emotions have the better of him.

The door to his quarters opened and a droid and two Stormtroopers stood in the doorway.

“GET ME NEW QUARTERS.” Ben yelled at them as he left the smoldering bedroom.


	2. Zombie

*inspired by 'Zombie' by the Cranberries*

Rey hurried wiped her face and rubbed at her arm wraps to mask that she had been crying. She hoped Poe wouldn't notice. She didn't want to have to explain what had just transpired in her room.

BB-8 was there with Poe outside her door. He beeped at her.

"Sorry about that." Rey apologized.

"He told me how to turn off the auto-pilot but I can't figure it out." Poe said, giving her a small smile. She nodded and they headed towards the cockpit. Rey went to go sit in the captains chair. Chewie gave a small roar and a chorus of chirps echoed around him from the Porgs huddled under his chair.

"You just turn this to the right, press this button, and flip this switch." Rey instructed Poe, fiddling with multiple knobs on the dash of the Falcon.

"Oh, turn it to the right!!! Got it." Poe said, flashing another smile. BB-8 beeped something that sounded like 'give me a break'. Rey let Poe take the pilots seat. "We'll be landing on Naboo shortly then." he told her.

Naboo was wonderful. It was lush and green. It reminded Rey of D'Qar and Maz's Castle. Poe had landed in a swamp shrouded by olive green trees with branches that hung down low and draped over the top of the Falcon.

Leia instructed most of the crew to stay back with the ship as she, Connix, and 2 other Resistance members went ahead to go speak with the Queen of Naboo.

Rose had woken up during the landing. She was sitting up and had been given a tin mug of a concoction to drink. She was sipping it slowly.

"Rey!!!" She said, nearly dropping the mug as Rey emerged from the cockpit. "You rescued us!!! This..... This is amazing!!!" She said. Rey blushed in embarrassment.

"Calm down Rose." Finn said, laying a hand on Rose's shoulder briefly.

"So you're Rose?" Rey asked. Rose looked like she was about to explode from happiness as Rey spoke to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but it was worth it." She said, turning her head to give a sappy eyed look to Finn who coughed and looked embarrassed. Poe showed up shortly from behind Rey, propping an elbow on Reys shoulder.

"Nice landing job, eh? If the First Order flew over right now, they wouldn't be able to see us. I am such a genius." Poe said, giving Rey a nudge. She blushed. "How you doing Rose?" He turned his attention to Rose. She just nodded quickly, smiling.

"Perfect." He said. "I'm going to go and try to catch up with General Organa." He said, turning to leave.

"But General Organa told us to wait here." Rose said strictly. "You don't want to get demoted again do you?"

BB-8 snarkily beeped from next to Poe.

"It was my idea to come here. I should have gone to speak to the Queen." He pouted.

"We are better off here for now anyways." Finn said, giving Rey a small smile, which she returned.

"So Rey, what happened when you went to find Luke?" He asked.

Over the next several hours, Rey filled Finn, Poe, and Rose on how Luke had shut himself off from the Force during his years on Ahch-To. She told them about Snoke, and how Ben had killed him instead of her. She told them about the fight with the guards in the throne room, and how Ben had ultimately assisted in the destruction of the lightsaber that had called to Rey - the lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker.

She left out the parts where they had connected face to face and touched over the fire.

"I can't believe he would do that!" Rose said.

"I can." Poe and Finn said together.

"There's light in him. Luke and Leia can sense it." Rey told them. Finn laughed.

"Rey, we saw the man kill Han. His own Father! How can there be light left in him?"

"Snoke said it himself." She said. "It was the reason he had him do so many horrible things. He was trying to snuff it out."

"The Force is weird." Poe said, shaking his head.

There was the sound of footsteps as Leia and the others had returned.

"What? What did she say?" Poe quickly asked, as everyone's attention turned the General.

She looked around at all the curious faces huddled together in the hub of the Falcon.

"We are allowed to stay." She announced. Several cheers erupted from the Resistance.

"But!" Leia said, holding up a hand. "There are some conditions."

XXX

Ben's belongings had been moved to a much larger and nicer suite on the cruiser.

"Your room, Supreme Leader." said a Stormtrooper. Ben dismissed the trooper with a flick of his hand. The room had large windows that looked across the bow of the cruiser. A few asteroids floating by. Tiny planets could be seen in the distance.

He hung his head down, letting his forehead rest on the cool glass of the window. Ever since his return to the cruiser, an air of eerie silence could be felt. He closed his eyes. He thought back to the destruction of the Dreadnaught. The Resistance with their ships, and their bombs, and their guns. Everyone who died. He was surprised at his feelings that his mother had miraculously survived the attack. He had been so close to pulling the trigger himself. He felt her worry when she had sensed his presence as his ship had approached hers. Afraid she was going to meet the same end as Han, at the hands of her only child, but ready should it come to fruition. In his head he could hear the screams of the TIE fighters and the explosions. His mind wandered to the look of despair Rey had on her face as she watched the cruiser shoot down the escaping ships on their way to Crait.

He stepped back from the window. He didn't need to think of her anymore. He needed to get his mind off things. So he went to go talk to Hux about the next steps.

XXX

The Queen had agreed to harbor the Resistance as they awaited assistance and rebuilt the command centers that they so desperately needed in order to communicate with allies. She asked that they hold no business on the planet, to avoid any violence. She granted them access to the old fighter hangers, as Naboo had demilitarized some years ago, leaving them available for use.

Nighttime had fallen. Shifts had been assigned to who would stay with the Falcon, who would stay on guard, and who would go down the first of the hangers in the morning. Rose had fallen asleep again, the medicine had made her drowsy. Finn left her side to come sit next to Rey, who was looking down at the broken pieces of the saber again at the holo Chess table.

"Rey." He said softly. She looked up at him, then smiled.

"Finn." She said, before wrapping him up in a tight hug. He tightly hugged her back.

"I'm so glad you're safe." He said. "You have no idea the kind of person Kylo Ren is."

Rey broke away from the hug and sighed.

"I don't think even he knows who he is." She said, staring off into space, then back to Finn.

"Just promise me you'll be careful. You can't keep running off and getting into trouble. Especially when I'm not there." He said, holding one of her hands. Rey smiled and looked down at their hands.

"What?" He asked.

"Remember how I had to keep asking you to stop taking my hand? Back on Jakku?" She asked. Finn's face broke into a smile.

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember." He said. He let go of her hand and looked over at Rose, whose mouth hung open and a small snore escaped. He smiled softly at the sight.

"She is very kind." Rey said, sensing his feelings.

"Yeah..... She is." He said, rubbing the back of his neck, trying not to let Rey see him blush.

"So are you going to come down to the hangers in the morning?" Finn asked. Rey shrugged.

"I feel I need to stay here with the Falcon." She said. He nodded.

"Get some rest, Rey. You look tired." He said. "Poe and I will get you if we need you." He said, getting up and going back over to the nook where Rose slept. She nodded and went back to her bedroom, eventually falling into a deep sleep.

XXX

Ben tromped down the hall to Hux's room. The Stormtrooper keeping guard immediately let him in, no questions asked.

Hux was standing at a counter, similar to the one Ben had destroyed earlier, his back to Ben. Ben walked over to him, an orange blur darting out from under a chair, nearly tripping him.

"Millicent! Be nice to the Supreme Leader." Hux said to the Loth-cat, without turning around.

Millicent hissed at Ben, her ugly squashed face showing her teeth. Ben made a rude face back to the cat.

"I hate that thing. I can't believe Snoke let you have it on the ship." Ben told Hux. Hux came over with drinks in his hands and set one on a clear table in front of the armchair. He sat in it, Millicent hopping up onto his lap, glaring at Ben as she settled in.

"Drink?" Hux asked Ben, gesturing to the second glass on the table. Ben took the drink and finished it in one large gulp.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Supreme Leader?" Hux said, sipping his drink, as he eyed Ben warily.

"Have you found Phasma's replacement?" Ben asked, setting his empty glass down on the table.

Hux sipped his drink some more.

"Yes I have. General Herrera has been promoted to Captain." He said.

"Very good. The soldiers will need to be reconditioned and re-trained." Ben instructed. Hux nearly spat out his drink.

"All of them? Reconditioned? Ren - "

"Supreme. Leader." Ben said between gritted teeth. "Yes. All of them. I'm Supreme Leader now. They will follow what I say and I don't want Snoke's past teachings to interfere."

"Why would you fear that?" Hux asked. He regretted his question at the stern look Ben gave him following the question.

"Say no more." He quickly said.

"Good. I trust Captain Herrera will train them well. I leave this up to you." Ben got up to leave.

"Supreme Leader." Hux said, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "Something has changed with you."

Ben stopped and stared at Hux.

"I am Supreme Leader now." Ben repeated. "That is what has changed." He said firmly.

"Mmmmm...." Hux said, sipping his drink with one hand and petting Millicent with the other. Millicent sneered up at Ben. "I don't think that's it."

Ben glared at Hux before turning sharply and storming out of the suite.

Back in his new room, Ben showered and got ready for what was bound to be another sleepless night. He never slept well since the night Luke had turned the saber on him. But he had a lot of work to do tomorrow as Supreme Leader. Making sure that the troopers would obey him and only his orders. Sleep slowly came as the night wore on.

XXX

It was a strange dream. If you could call it that. Flashbacks of his youth, the training with his Uncle, the fire at the Jedi temple, his time with the Knights of Ren, Snoke's voice piercing through his mind.

"You are no Vader. You are just a child in a mask! You are weak! You have too much of your Fathers heart!"

The sound of a lightsaber igniting, the feel of guilt and dread as he watched his Father fall to his death, with nothing but love for his son in his eyes. Suddenly, Ben was falling off the bridge after him, tumbling down into dark waters.

He emerged from the water in a cave, heaps of seaweed gracing the sides of the pond. He shook himself off and walked up to a wall of glass like crystals. He brushed a gloved hand against the wall, clearing fog to catch a look at his own reflection, but instead of himself, he saw her. Rey.

"Ben." She said softly.

He backed away from the wall.

"LET GO!" He screamed at her.

"Return Ben." She said, still speaking kindly to him. He turned away from her only to see Luke standing on the opposite side of the pond.

"I failed you, Ben. I'm sorry." Luke said to him.

Ben ignited his saber and yelled as he dove to attack him, falling back into the dark waters instead. He flailed in the water, his wet clothes weighing him down. He reached out with the Force to pull himself up to the surface but he kept sinking deeper. His eyes closed as he sank, the sound of his splashing was silenced.

He opened his eyes. Now he was in an unfamiliar room, it was simple and metallic. He was lying in a bed. Slowly, he turned over and his heart nearly stopped. He saw a sea of chocolate brown hair splayed over a single pillow. Rey.


	3. Touch

*language warning*

This was a very weird dream. He had rarely dreamt of women before. And even then, they certainly weren't sleeping in those dreams. He waited breathlessly as he waited for her to speak, even though she was turned away from him.

A sigh of content escaped her lips and a sinking realization rushed over him, his stomach knotting.

This wasn't a dream at all. They had connected again.

Why did this keep happening? It was all she could ask about when they had connected the day before. She was right. Snoke was dead. He had opened this Force channel between them. To get what he wanted. To get to Rey. The lowly scavenger from Jakku. If Snoke had opened the connection, why hadn't it shut when Ben had killed him? And why, just why, did it keep pulling them together? And just what the hell did he have to do to stop it?

But it was just the Force, after all. This wasn't real. He wasn't really there in the bed with her. He was back on the cruiser. In his own room. Alone. This was just a vision of her is all.

Another few moments of silence went by, his mind racing over how to stop this.

'Maybe....' he thought to himself. He thought back to how he and Rey had connected over the fire before his Uncle so rudely burst in. Maybe.... Just maybe.... He had an idea of how to disconnect.

He reached over to her exposed shoulder, peeking out from the brown wool cover of the bed. His fingertips hovered centimeters from her skin. Slowly, he ran his outstretched middle finger down her shoulder. She was soft and cold.

'Fuck.' he thought.

Rey began to slightly stir.

'FUCK!' he thought more fiercely this time.

Rey instinctively pulled the cover over her shoulder and snuggled her head deeper into the pillow, letting out another sigh.

XXX

Rey awoke sometime in the early morning. She wasn't quite sure when, but judging by the fact the Falcon was quiet - no one else was awake. She turned over, hoping to get a few more moments of rest before getting up and starting her day. She pulled another pillow over to herself, to hold against her in comfort. It smelled unfamiliar. Like vanilla and spices, maybe a hint of smoke. It was odd, but not alarming. She slowly drifted back to sleep.

"REY!"

Rey woke with a jump. There was a bang on the door. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

"Rey!" shouted the voice again. There was a muffled roar from Chewie. Rey hurried to the door, hitting the button to open it. Finn was standing there, a look of panic on his face.

"Finn? What's the matter?" Rey asked, yawning. "Oh. Oh my." She said as she looked around the hub of the Falcon. Mud was slung everywhere. From the couches to the floor, even to the holo screen.

Chewie roared again, chasing after a flock of mud drenched Porgs, dirt and leaves flicking off his leg fur as he ran.

"Chewie! What happened?" Rey asked. Chewie whined in response.

"The Porgs got off the ship and went swimming in the swamp." Finn said. "See? I'm learning Wookiee."

Chewie roared in an annoying tone.

"I think I could have figured that much out on my own." Rey said, sighing as she looked around.

"Where is everyone else?" She asked Finn.

"They all went to the old hangers already. You slept in."

"You should have woke me up." She told him as she went to find rags.

"Nah, you were so tired." He said as he followed her throughout the Falcon.

"How's Rose?" She asked shoving a handful of rags from a supply closet at Finn.

"Better. She went with the rest of the group."

Rey grabbed a tin washtub.

"Good. Then you can help me clean the Falcon then." She said. "All right everyone!" She shouted at Chewie and the Porgs. "Bath time!"

"Wait, what?" Finn objected.

XXX

Once the Porgs had been bathed, they fell asleep in a nest of blankets Rey had set up for them.

"No more mud." Rey told Chewie, shaking a finger at him. He just rolled his eyes and grumbled as Rey finished toweling his fur.

"We're back!" called a cheerful voice. Rose and Poe came up the ramp of the Falcon, arms full of supplies. Chewie went to go help.

"Rey!!!" Rose said happily. Rey smiled.

"Hello Rose." She replied. "What all did you find at the hangers?"

"It is MASSIVE." Rose said with a blissful sigh. "So many old artifacts! Look at these!" She said, dumping a pile of spark plugs and compressors on the holo chess table.

"The General said once it's cleared out we can rebuild the communicators and even a power generator." Poe said. He turned to Rey. "Hey Rey, guess what I found? An old Pod Racer. Cool, huh? Maybe you can come out on the next run and help me fix it up."

Rey blushed and looked down at the towel in her hands.

"Sure. Sounds fun." She said. Poe beamed.

"That's not even the best part." He said, winking.

"It's not?" She asked. She looked up, feeling eyes on her. Leia was standing at the top of the ramp.

"Come with me Rey." She said, a hint of a smile on her lips. Rey swallowed hard and went to follow Leia outside.

"Yes, General?" Rey asked once they were standing alone on the edge of the swamp. Leia laughed softly.

"You may call me Leia. You know that." She told her. Rey smiled a little.

"Yes, Leia?" She asked. Leia reached into a bag at her side.

"This was found inside the hanger. In the old Pod Racer." She said, her hand emerging from the bag.

A lightsaber.

"But..... But how?" Rey questioned, her voice and hands shaking as she reached out for the metal.

"It doesn't have a core." She explained as Rey went to ignite it. Rey looked down at it with even more confusion.

"Who-" Rey began. Leia sensed the question and took Rey by the elbow and led her to the opening to the swamp. It overlooked the grassy knolls of the Naboo landscape. The domes of the Queen's castle gleaming in the sun in the distance.

"Long before Luke and I were born, My mother was Queen here." Leia told her. Rey stared at her in wonder.

"Luke once told me that his old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, said our mother wanted to give birth to us on Naboo. Her home planet." Leia looked down at the saber in Rey's hands.

"I have a feeling this was stashed away by my father. For us." she said quietly, touching the saber as Rey held it in her palms.

"How do you know?" Rey asked. Leia smiled.

"It's the Force." she said. "The connection. The emotions that can be felt upon just a touch."

Rey turned the handle over in her hands, trying to get a sense of the object. It felt different than Anakin's old saber.

"It will serve you and the Resistance well." Leia said.

"But the crystal..." Rey said. "I.... I don't know how to fix it." She said, frowning.

Leia reached into her bag again, bringing out a necklace. It had a gold chain with a delicate pale crystal dangling from it.

"Luke gifted this to me after the Battle of Endor. In case I ever wanted to learn the ways of the Force." She said, looking down lovingly at the necklace.

"But of course, I just never got the chance to learn. I got swept up in the politics when rebuilding the Republic. And then, eventually, I had Ben."

Rey had never heard Leia speak of Ben before. Rey was speechless.

"He would have wanted you to have this." Leia said, handing the necklace to Rey.

"Ben?" Rey squeaked. Leia laughed.

"No, dear. Luke." She said, pressing the necklace into Rey's hand. Rey looked down at the necklace in one hand, the saber in the other.

"I don't know what to say." Rey said, tears welling at her eyes.

"You don't need to say anything." Leia pulled Rey's head down to hers and kissed her forehead in a very motherly fashion. She gave Rey's hand a pat before walking back to the Falcon.

Rey looked back down at the objects in her hands. She hastily removed the crystal from its fastening on the necklace and wriggled it into the hilt of the saber. Her hands trembled as she felt a spark of life from within the metal as it clicked into place. She ignited it, a brilliant blue hue humming to life.

XXX

"Supreme Leader." Hux nodded curtly as Ben entered the command deck. "Sleep well?" He asked, commenting on the disheveled and exhausted look clouding Ben's face.

A smirk played at Hux's lips as Ben grumbled.

"Any sign of the Resistance?" Ben asked, choosing to ignore Hux's attitude.

"No, Supreme Leader." the pilot said. "The ship isn't showing on any of our scanners."

"They're out there." Hux said angrily. "Send out a search party to all the refuel stations in the outer rim. Someone is bound to have spotted them."

The pilot was quiet and nervously fiddled with some controls.

"Are you DEAF? Send out a search party!" Hux shouted at the man. The pilot continued to ignore Hux. Hux started to walk forward towards the man, but it was as if his feet were stuck in place.

"Perhaps you'd be better off overseeing the reconditioning of your troops, General." Ben sneered as he continued his Force hold on Hux.

"But Supreme Leader." Hux said, trying to regain his composure. "As I said yesterday, they needed to refuel. We can track them to where they are hiding and take care of them while they are defenseless."

"No." Ben said.

"No?" Hux repeated. "Supreme Leader! That GIRL killed Supreme Leader Snoke! She needs to be PUNISHED!"

"We will attack when I say. We will find them." Ben said, letting go of his hold on Hux, causing Hux to stumble off the bridge. Ben smirked.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Hux said angrily, as he stood up and adjusted his hat. He stomped towards the deck doors.

"What are you laughing at, Milligan?" He yelled at one of the computer operators on his way out.

"Sir?" The pilot asked Ben.

"Stay your course." He ordered. The pilot nodded and turned back towards the controls.

Ben left the deck, back to his room. He was unable to fall back asleep after the connection had broken. He felt drained and needed sleep desperately but he was terrified of ending up syncing with her again. Surely she was awake by now. He wished he knew the key to the connection so he could prevent it.

He entered his room and dismissed the Stormtrooper standing guard, much to their pleasure he sensed. He looked out his large window again, trying to piece together all the times they connected.

The first time had been when he was having his stitches removed from his scar. He had been reminiscing about how he had been injured by her. Rey. Wielding his grandfather's lightsaber.

The second - he had been contemplating about Snoke's demands for Rey to be brought to him and how he was going to achieve that, when he knew if he had gone to find her, he was going to have to face Luke in the process.

The third, well, he wasn't quite sure how it happened - considering he was in the middle of dressing when it happened. But Rey had some many questions about what had happened with Luke. With her training, with the Force.

Back on Crait, when raiding the base, he had thought of how her and the Resistance had outsmarted him, and how Luke had humiliated him with the Force.

He sensed a pattern. And he did not like it. Maybe the reason they kept connecting was because he couldn't keep his damn mind off her.


	4. Sledgehammer

*language warning*

*inspired by Sledgehammer by Fifth Harmony*

He clenched a fist.

Why did she keep making her way into his thoughts? She wasn't special or anything. So what if she could use the Force? She was still untrained. And it's not like she was a skilled fighter, or decent with a lightsaber. Or good at piloting ships. Or exceptionally good looking, with her chocolate hair, and the dusting of freckles on her face.

"FUCK!" Ben screamed, slamming his fist against the window, causing a crack. He huffed out of his room to find a Trooper.

"You!" He shouted as one turned the corner.

"Yes. Supreme Leader." he said as he halted.

"Get me the medic droid." Ben instructed.

"Yes Supreme Leader." The Stormtrooper turned back the way they came.

"NOW!" Ben barked. The Stormtrooper quickened his pace.

A few sleeping pills later, he was passed out in his room, pleading with himself not to connect with her.

XXX

Back on Naboo, Rose ooohed and ahhhed at Rey's new saber.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm this close to a Jedi!" Rose squealed.

"I'm not a Jedi, Rose." Rey said. "There are many things I haven't learned." Thinking of the books she had taken from the tree on Ahch-To.

"Just.... Wow...." Rose repeated.

"You know." Rey said, shooting Finn a look. "Finn fought with my old saber a few times."

"I know! He's such a hero!" Rose said, grabbing for Finn's hand, causing him to blush. Rey and Poe laughed.

The following morning, Rey went with Poe to the hanger while Rose and Finn stayed with Chewie on the Falcon.

"I don't know much of the Battle Of Naboo." Rey told Poe, as he had been explaining their findings from yesterday.

They reached the top of one of the rolling hills of the planet, the road to the palace on their right.

"Hanger's this way." Poe said, nodding his head to the left.

It was a Scavengers dream. Rey's stomach instinctively grumbled at the thought of how many portions she could have earned turning in to Unkar Plutt.

"Rose was right. It is amazing." Rey said, her face lighting up. Poe smiled at her.

"I knew you'd like it." He said. Rey blushed.

"Come on, the Pods back here."

They went past Connix and a few other Resistance members who were stripping the wires from the heads of rusted Battle Droids. In a far corner of the hanger, under a dusty blanket was the Pod Racer.

"It's in pretty bad shape." Poe said, looking down at the controls.

"You think it would still run?" Rey asked, as she ran her hands down the dusty metal body of the racer.

"Thinking of a race? The best pilot in the Resistance versus the best pilot on Jakku?" Poe laughed, giving her a wink.

"I don't think that's quite fair. This Pods got nothing on your X-Wing." Rey laughed in return.

"How about I give you some pointers?" Poe said, leaning in a charming fashion against the Pod. He looked over in the direction of a pair of large yellow ships parked in the back.

"Never been in a starfighter, have you?" Rey shook her head

"How about tonight? After dinner?" He asked. Rey blushed.

"How about we get this Racer out of the hanger first." She replied. Poe smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said.

XXX

After dinner, Rey went to her room to wash up before heading back to the hangers. She washed her hands and face. Her mind wandered as she tugged at her hair. It was sticking to the back of her neck from the humidity of the swamp.

Poe was obviously very friendly and kind. Rey wasn't used to such attention from men. She wondered what he liked about her. She wasn't special. She wasn't as good at piloting ships as he was. Nor did she feel she was exceptionally good looking. Certainly not ugly, but she didn't feel beautiful.

She begun to fix her hair back into her triple bun style, thinking to herself as she stared into the mirror. She thought of how Finn had looked at her back on Jakku, and now how his eyes softened and cheeks went red when he looked at Rose. She thought of how Ben had been almost human that night in front of the fire. The slight tingle of electricity she had felt when their fingertips touched. The flicker of light in him she sensed. The look he gave her after she had landed on Snoke's ship from the drop off pod. Their proximity in the elevator. How he had said 'please' when asking for her to rule the new world with him.

"Going somewhere?" Came a voice from behind her.

Rey jumped and turned around, one of the buns in her hair drooping.

Ben had his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe of her bathroom. A half amused, half annoyed look crossing his face.

"Why is it a matter to you?" She said, turning back to the mirror and re-adjusting the fallen bun.

"You look like you're going somewhere." He said. She ignored him, hoping he would go away.

"I thought you didn't want to connect again." She said finally, after he didn't dissipate.

"Oh, I didn't. This was YOUR doing." He said, a smirk itching at the corner of his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean."

"It seems...." He trailed off. He cleared his throat, looking at everything but her. "It seems we connect when...." How could he tell her without letting her know he had been thinking of her.

"Connect when...." Rey said, trying to drag the answer out of him.

"When... We think..... ofeachother" He mumbled the last part. It was quiet for a moment.

"HA!" Rey laughed loudly. Ben glared at her.

"As if you would think about someone besides yourself." She said.

This angered Ben.

"Have you already forgotten that I could have KILLED you?" He hissed.

"Just because you killed Snoke doesn't make you a hero. You overthrew him. There's a difference." She hissed back.

"Think about it." Ben said. "If I hadn't been..... Plotting to destroy you, we wouldn't be connecting at all!" He shouted. Yeah, plotting. That would work. That sounded more like something he'd say. A hell of a lot better than the truth.

Rey crossed her arms in annoyance. Her mind went through the times they had connected.

Ben watched her as she stood silently. He held back from reading her thoughts. He could see the wheels turning in her head just from the look on her face. A slow color of pink rose up to her cheeks.

He had been thinking of her. Sure, he said he was plotting against her, but when she had been thinking of him just now, she hadn't been plotting against him. Could it be possible....

"Aren't you curious how far this goes?" He asked. Rey scoffed.

"No." She lied.

"What all can you see?" He asked. "When we connect?"

"You're in my bathroom." Rey said, the pink in her cheeks intensifying.

"The other day, when you were crying." Rey looked down in embarrassment. "You were in my room." He told her. Her face was glowing red at this point.

"So.... We can only see the surrounding of whomever initiated the connection..." Rey said slowly. He wondered if he knew where they were - careful not to think of their location in case he was reading her thoughts.

"Mmmm." She said, understanding completely what was happening when they connection, but not willing to accept it.

"How do we stop it." She asked. Ben felt a tinge of hurt, but brushed it aside.

"I have an idea." He said. He slowly held up his right hand, his glove already removed. He turned his hand to her. Waiting.

Rey looked at his hand, then to his face, trying to read his intentions.

"If I wanted to kill you, I already would have tried by now." He said quietly, sensing her hesitation.

She dropped her arms to her side. A short breath in. She stepped forward. She raised her right hand in return.

She closed the distance between them with another two steps. Her hand trembled as it rose to meet his. Her heartbeat was pounding so fierce in her chest. She felt herself get very warm, sweat forming at the base of her neck.

He hoped she couldn't hear his heart. It was beating so loud it felt like the screech of a TIE fighter in his ears. He was struggling to keep down his emotions and his eagerness for her touch as anticipation flowed through him.

And then, she slowly pressed her hand against his, a held breath escaping her lips with a hint of content. Warmth radiated between the two of them. She could feel a more intense spark than what had occurred over the fire.

Her eyes went up to meet with his, but he was still staring in awe at their hands. Without thinking, she allowed her fingers to slightly slip between his.

"Ben...." She whispered, her voice wavering. His eyes snapped to hers, and he quickly drew his hand away before she could close her fingers on him.

"I... I'm sorry." She whispered, lowering her hand. She was unable to read his expression. Was it fear? Was it hatred? Was it.... Something else?

He stared down at his hand, then back to her. Before she got a chance to say anything else, the connection was over, and he was gone.

XXX

Ben breathed in and out heavily. He held himself back from lashing out with his lightsaber. He stared angrily down at his hand. Not angry from the touch, angry it was so brief. Angry he was unable to say more to her. She would probably never try to sync with him again after this. He flexed his hand, stretching his fingers out, his hand still feeling uncommonly hot.

A knock at his door shook him from his thoughts. The door hissed open.

"Supreme Leader." Said a Stormtrooper. "General Hux is waiting in the throne room." Ben grumbled and huffed off towards the throne room.

Ben flung open the doors to the throne room with his Force powers.

Hux was nonchalantly perched on the throne, Millicent in his lap, both un-phased by the slam of the doors.

"What are you doing on my throne?" Ben spat, raising a hand to Hux, ready to raise him out of it.

"Good to see you Supreme Leader." Hux said, standing up on his own, Millicent jumping down to the floor.

"I asked Captain Herrera to join us this evening." Hux said, nodding to the doors behind Ben.

Ben turned. Captain Herrera had opted for a charcoal colored suit, darker than the shade of chrome Phasma had chosen when she had been promoted.

"Supreme Leader." She said, nodding with her large helmet to Ben.

"Captain." Ben said, returning the nod.

"Supreme Leader, the first wave of troops have completed reconditioning. They are ready to begin your training in the morning." She reported.

"Excellent." Hux murmured from beside Ben. Millicent brushed up against Hux's legs before curiously sniffing at Ben's boots. She gave a small hiss.

"Have them ready at 8." Ben said.

"As you command Supreme Leader." Herrera said before leaving the throne room. Ben stomped over to the throne and sat down, placing his elbows on the arm rests, folding his hands in thought across his chin.

"Starting a glove-less fashion trend are we?" Hux commented on the lack of one of Ben's signature accessories.

"The better to choke you with, General." Ben replied. The smirk was wiped from Hux's face.

"Supreme Leader." He said, giving a curt bow of his head, before leaving the room.

XXX

Much to Rey's delight and Poe's chagrin, Rose, Finn, and BB-8 tagged along to the hanger. Rose showed Finn how to work the blasters on the starfighter, a pile of battle droid remains being reduced to smithereens upon contact.

Poe was at least able to provide Rey with some tips on sharp turns and avoiding the targeting systems of the First Order fighters.

"It's all in the wrist." He said, guiding Rey's hands on the control staffs of the starfighter. BB-8 whistled from behind them, nestled in the droid nook of the ship. While Poe's hands were rough and kind, the warmth she had felt when connecting with Ben was absent. She blinked quickly, bringing herself out of her thoughts about Ben. She didn't need him showing up while she was here. Even though he wasn't about to harm her, she unfortunately couldn't say the same for her friends.

"Hey Rey, watch this!" Finn shouted from the other fighter. There was a blast and some blue orbs went flying from a crate, an electric spark creating a firework like display.

They laughed all the way back to the Falcon. Leia was waiting for them, standing with a holo chip in her hands. She smiled.

"The Queen has invited us to her palace tomorrow night for a banquet." She announced to everyone. A murmur of curiosity and excitement spread throughout the Falcon.

"Yeah! Free food!" Finn said, turning and giving Poe a high five.

"WOW! I've never met a Queen before!" Rose said in awe. Chewie roared.

"Yes, you may come too." Leia said to Chewie.

"Rey, do you think you could come with me to the town tomorrow?" Rose asked, giving Rey's arm a tug.

"Town?" Rey asked.

"I need something to wear, of course. I can't go meet the queen in my work clothes!"

"Well...." Rey thought. "As long as Chewie is okay with watching the ship...."

Chewie roared. Rose squealed.

After much planning for the following day, Rey went to bed, barely a thought given to what had transpired with Ben earlier. But that didn't stop her mind from reaching for him while she slept.

She was back on Takodana in the woods. A snap of a branch made her whirl around. It was Kylo Ren, with his saber ignited. She reached down for her blaster, but it wasn't there. As she frantically looked around, she was frozen in place by the Force.

"I'm here to take you to Snoke." He told her. He knocked her out and Rey woke up in the red throne room. Snoke's ugly misshapen face looming towards her. She felt the sting of his power as he read her thoughts of the location of Luke and the Resistance. She cried out for Ben behind her to help, but he was still in his mask, unable to hear her. The sting intensified and Kylo Ren took off his mask. Ben stared down at her as she withered on the floor, weak from Snoke's power. There was a flash of a saber and the pain to Rey ceased as Snoke's severed body slid off the throne he sat on. Rey scrambled to her feet.

"Ben." She said.

"It's time to let old things die." He said. "Snoke. Skywalker. The Sith. The Jedi. The Resistance.... Rey." He held out his hand. "I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

"Don't do this Ben. Please don't go this way."

"No. NO! YOU'RE STILL HOLDING ON. LET GO!" He shouted at her.

She stared at his outstretched hand.

"Please..." He begged.

Instead of reaching for saber, she reached out for his outstretched hand. She took it gently, and Ben smiled at her.

Rey slowly woke up, confused over the dream she had. The weight of the blanket was making her warm and uncomfortable. The swamp life was definitely different than that of Jakku. She went to remove the blanket when her hand brushed against something draped across her side. Her heart leapt into her throat. It was an arm. The weight she felt wasn't from the blanket at all. It was Ben, pressed against her back, black hair a mess, fast asleep, his face smooshed into one of the pillows.


	5. Tall, Dark, & Handsome

*language warning*

She wriggled out from under his weight and grabbed her lightsaber off her bedside table and turned to face the bed.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Rey screamed at him. Ben jolted awake, a hand quickly rising to his face to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"GET OUT!" Rey screamed, igniting her saber.

"Oh fuck, not again." Ben said.

"AGAIN?!?!?" Rey continued to yell.

"Where'd you get that?" Ben asked, pointing at the saber.

"You said 'again'. Why did you say 'again'? Has this happened before?"

"You didn't wake up last time." He said.

"EW!" She shrieked.

"Don't worry, I wasn't exactly thrilled either."

"I'm not some Hosnian whore. You can't just show up in my bed whenever you want."

"At least a Hosnian whore wouldn't have threatened me with a lightsaber. Where did you get that." Ben repeated.

"They're PAID to be nice to you." Rey shot back, brandishing the lightsaber at him.

"How did you fix it?" Ben badgered.

"I didn't." Rey said haughtily. "It was given to me."

"Damn it, why do lightsabers just keep finding their way to you?" Ben shouted at her.

"This needs to stop." She demanded.

"That would be great. Please tell me how you plan to un-bridge our minds." an air of sarcasm in his tone.

"Stop thinking about me!"

"I'm in YOUR room. You were the one thinking about ME."

"I wasn't thinking of you. I was having a dream. Where we were in the throne room...."

".... And you took my hand." Ben finished for her.

"Now our dreams are connected? Great." Rey said, turning off her saber. "What does this all mean?"

"Snoke connected us as a means to learn Skywalkers location. Both of them are dead now. This should have ended a long time ago."

It was finally quiet between the two.

"I guess..... I guess we have to....." Rey began. She sighed. "Put up with it. For now. Until we can figure out how to sever it."

Ben frowned, annoyed.

"Stay OUT of my bed." Rey snapped at him.

"A Hosnian whore would be more tempting at this point."

Rey felt a sting pierce her heart. She furrowed her brow and took a sharp breath in at his cruel words. And suddenly, he was gone.

XXX

Ben burst into the training facility. It was nearly 9 o'clock. This Force connection was really starting to mess with his duties on the cruiser.

"Supreme Leader." Hux said, smirking. "You're late." Ben shot him a look and flexed his bare hand. Hux glanced at his hand, eyes slightly widening.

"Proceed." Hux said, stepping back, allowing Ben to approach the troops.

"ALL RIGHT ALL YOU PIECES OF BANTHA DUNG, LISTEN UP. I AM YOUR SUPREME LEADER AND YOU WILL FOLLOW MY ORDERS AND ONLY MY ORDERS. ARE WE CLEAR?" He shouted at the troops.

The troops clacked their boots together and raised a fist.

"YES, SUPREME LEADER." they replied in unison.

"Under the command of Captain Herrera, you will learn advanced combat techniques. No more relying on blasters. The Resistance can NOT be allowed to humiliate the First Order again."

"Supreme Leader." Herrera said, nodding her head to him.

"DISMISSED." Ben said. The troops clattered off in groups, Herrera following with some of the higher ranked troopers.

"Well done." Hux said, clearly impressed. "I hope your tardiness was well worth it."

"I took a sleeping pill from the medic droid." Ben said. "I overslept." It was at least half true.

"I will see to the reassignment of the medic droid then." Hux said. Ben just nodded. Hux strode off.

He had upset her. He knew he had. The connection had severed so abruptly. He closed his eyes and recalled the look of hurt he could see in her face before he was back in his suite.

He hadn't meant what he said. But he couldn't let her know his inner confusions that he continued to push to the back of his mind. He was not looking forward to the next time they connected. He had a feeling he was not going to like it.

XXX

Rose and Rey headed to the Naboo Bazaar, wearing cloaks lent to them by Leia. It was good to keep a low profile.

"I wonder what the Queen is like." Rose whispered to Rey. "I want to make a good impression."

Rey spoke with one of the street vendors, a tall aquatic creature Poe had said were called Gungans. They were pointed in the direction of a tailor.

"Oooooh. Look at this one! OOOOOOH. Look at that one!" Rose said, rushing up to the dresses that hung on wire forms inside the shop.

"Rey, this would look lovely on you." Rose gushed as she ran a hand over the soft velvet fabric of one of the dresses on display.

"Red really isn't my color..." Rey said, glancing at a golden brown dress on the rack.

"You can't wear brown forever, Rey." Rose said. "Eeep! Pink! Let me try this on."

Rey hung back, feeling uncomfortable in the dress shop. With so many fine fabrics and dresses, she wished she could wear her loose linen clothes from Jakku.

"What do you think?" Rose asked, stepping out from the dressing room in the pink dress.

"Perfect!" Rey said. Rose blushed. "Do you think Finn would like it?"

"If he doesn't, he is a fool."

Rose clapped her hands

"Now it's your turn to find a dress." Rose told her.

"I don't know Rose. This feels weird." Rey said after she had been shoved into a pale blue sleeveless dress. It had an open back, a clasp holding the top in place at the back of her neck. There was a slit going up one side from the bottom to above her thigh.

Rose pressed her hands to her cheeks.

"What?" Rey asked.

"You're so pretty!" Rose said. Rey blushed.

"I've never worn a dress like this before." She said, rubbing the soft material of the dress between her fingers. Rose looked like she was going to cry.

"I am so excited." She said. "Let's hurry back so you can help me with my hair." Rose said.

In Rey's room on the Falcon, Rose sat on a metal stool as Rey fashioned her hair into a single bun.

"Rey?" Rose asked.

"Mmm?" Rey replied, metal pins sticking out from her mouth as she worked on the hair.

"Is Kylo Ren really Leia's son?"

Rey took the pins from her mouth.

"He has her eyes." Rey said quietly.

"Do you believe he still has light in him? Like she says?"

"I know there is."

"Then how can he want to hurt his own mother?"

Rey tucked a few small pink flowers into Rose's hair.

"I don't think he wants to. He's.... Very conflicted at the moment."

"You can sense that?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Wow...." The word was beginning to be her catchphrase.

"That's kind of cool you know, how you can sense that." She told Rey. Rey chuckled softly.

"I guess so."

"So what does he look like? Is he scary?"

"He's very tall.... Dark haired...."

"Handsome?" Rose teased. Rey blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rey. It's just my sister and I used to talk about guys together all the time...." She said, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

"It's okay." Rey said. "I suppose you could say he is... Yes." She answered. She held a mirror up to Rose who squealed in delight.

"Thank you!" Rose said, giving Rey a tight hug before skipping out of the room.

Rey finished with her own hair, opting for one large flat bun that fanned out like a disc. She didn't adorn it with flowers like she had Rose's hair, but with some tiny gems Rose had found at the bazaar. She still wrapped her arms like she liked, this time with fresh linen. It made her feel comfortable, as she was very uncomfortable being so dressed up. She wore sandals that laced up her legs.

She emerged from her room, nervous. Chewie gave a small roar of approval and BB-8 whistled. Rey blushed. Both Chewie and BB-8 had little bow ties on.

"Thanks Chewie." Rey said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Poe came over, wearing a new black leather jacket over an orange dress shirt.

"May I escort the lady?" He teased, giving a great bow. Rey laughed.

"You may." She said, looping her arm around his extended elbow.


	6. Strip That Down

*language and slight mature content warning*

*briefly inspired by 'Strip That Down' by Liam Payne*

Rose grasped tightly onto Finn's hand as they walked up the steps of the Naboo Palace.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh." Rose whispered.

"Ouch, Rose, you're hurting me!" Finn hissed.

Leia was at the front of the group in a grey dress that had large frills at the shoulders, a cape draping down from the back.

As they entered the Palace, they were greeted by the Queen and Rey was taken aback at how young she was. She looked 12 or so. Her hair was a glossy black, with a headband full of Varactyl feathers upon her head. She wore a dress in a brilliant shade of emerald green.

"Welcome brave Resistance soldiers. I am Queen Annaly Naberrie."

The group bowed to her.

"I hold this banquet tonight in honor of your General, Leia Organa. Long ago, she came to the aid of our past Queen Soruna. Tonight - not only do I return the kindness Leia has shown to the people of Naboo, I celebrate a member of my personal family tree."

She clapped and the members of her royal guard followed suit. The Resistance chimed in. Leia nodded her head to everyone.

"Come." Queen Annaly said, taking Leia by the hand. "This way to the dining hall."

"I didn't know Leia was related to the current Queen." Rey whispered to Poe as they walked together to the dining hall.

"Yes. She is descended from Padme's sister, Sola." He whispered back. "Why do you think I suggested we come to Naboo?" He winked at her.

After dinner, everyone was mingling around and drinking some pear flavored wine. The Queen went around, flanked by 2 handmaidens and 2 guards, greeting each Resistance member.

When she approached Rey and her friends, Rose nearly choked.

"Good evening." She said to them, clasping her hands in front of her dress. They all bowed.

"Good evening." They replied.

"Enjoying the splendor?" She asked them.

"Yes, your Majesty." Poe said. "We appreciate you harboring us while we rebuild."

"I was happy to oblige." Annaly said, giving him a sly smile, her eyes twinkling at him.

"Your Majesty." Rose said breathlessly, "Is it really you? Or is one of your handmaidens the real Queen?"

"Rose!" Finn hissed. Annaly gave a soft giggle.

"It's quite all right. My grandmother told me the stories of Padme's reign, passed down from her sister, my great grandmother. I can understand the curiosity."

Rose blushed.

"How old are you?" Rey asked.

"Nearly 14." Annaly responded. Poe went red in the face.

"Wow. You're so beautiful." Rose gushed. Annaly giggled again.

"I like you." She said to Rose. "You remind me of my older sister. Come, I will allow you to ask me more funny questions." She said, taking Rose by the hand and leading her away. Rose gave a little wave to her friends as she was led away.

"You look very beautiful tonight too, Rey." Poe told her, still a little red in the face from before.

"Yeah. And a little more closer to your age. By like, a lot." Finn said. Poe punched Finn in the shoulder.

"Hey, you spilled my drink!" Finn said to Poe.

"We can just go get more." Poe said, dragging Finn over to a table with a pyramid of pears surrounded by glasses of the wine.

"Cheers." He said, handing both Finn and Rey drinks.

"I've never had wine before." Rey said, looking into the cup.

"It's your only night to be fancy. Drink up." Poe told her. They clinked glasses and drank to the night.

XXX

"And then, he was like ......*hic*.... Join me...... And I was like........ Whaaaaaaa?"

"Rey, you're drunk." Poe said to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"How much did she have?" Finn asked.

"Like, four glasses? I don't know" Poe said, leading Rey up the ramp of the Falcon.

"And I said, Ben don't do this."

"Uh huh.." The boys said together, not paying attention to her ramblings.

"And he just said please..... HA! He used manners. Hahahahaha." Rey continued to babble about the fight in the throne room.

"Great story." Poe said. "Hey, why don't you go lay down and get some rest Rey. We'll see you in the morning." Poe said, sitting her down on the couch at the holo chess table.

"Are you sure she will be okay by herself?" He asked Finn.

"Chewie's here." Finn said, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. Chewie roared.

"Chewie!!!! Oh my gosh you guys, it's Chewie!!!!" Rey said, trying to stand up to greet the Wookiee.

Chewie roared at them, waving at them that he had it handled. One too many trips to the bar with Han back in the day had prepared him well. He gave her a glass of water and patted her head.

"Do you think I'm pretty, Chewie?" She asked. Chewie grumbled and whined a bit.

"Aw, thanks Chewie." She said, taking a sip of her water.

"Ben doesn't think I'm pretty. He'd rather have a Hos... Hosssss.... Hosnian whore over me."

Chewie gave her a very puzzled look. Rey began to laugh.

"Hahahaha. There aren't even any Hosnians left! Because.... Because..... They were blown up..... Poof!"

Chewie patted her head again and grumbled some more.

"You really think so Chewie?" Chewie shrugged. She gave the Wookiee a hug.

"Thanks." She sat there with him, braiding the fur on his arms as she calmed down from the wine.

"I want to go to bed now." She said dreamily. He helped her to her room, and went to go sleep in the cockpit as usual.

XXX

Stupid dress. Stupid Ben. Why didn't he like her? She was pretty. Even Chewie told her she was pretty. He was just.... He was just stupid. That was it. She saw how he looked at her when she arrived on Snokes cruiser. The light she felt in him always seemed the brightest when he was around her. When they touched hands the other day, it was almost surreal. Then he had to go and be mean again. He had to be Kylo Ren when all she wanted was Ben.

She would show him, she decided. She would get him back for what he said. But how? Oh yes. How he said he would prefer a whore over him. She could be sexy. She had seen the slave women Unkar occasionally had paid to dance for him.

Rey reached her hands up to her head and slowly released her bun, letting it slink down inch by inch. She propped up a foot on a stool and began to untie her sandals, the slit in her dress revealing the pink of her thighs.

She tossed the sandals aside and swayed her hips as she reached behind her neck to undo the clasp that held up her top. She let the clasp fall as she shook out the waves of her hair. Slowly and seductively, she unzipped the zipper that lay at the top of her hips. She slunk her hips side to side as she let the dress fall around her ankles, giving another flip of her hair.

She stepped out of the dress and knealt down, arching her back, as she picked it up off the floor. She swayed her hips some more as she reached for her linen bed top off a nearby chair. She let it fall slowly over her exposed breasts, reaching into the neck of the shirt to fish out the hair that had been tucked in as she dressed. With a smile to herself and a bite of her lip, she crawled into her bed, covering herself with her blanket, almost daring Ben to wake up in her bed again.

"What ARE you staring at?" Barked Hux.

Ben coughed sharply and hurriedly placed an arm over his lap. His face glowed red.

"Nothing.... It was nothing." He said, shaking his head, trying to shield his face from Hux.

Hux squinted suspiciously at the blank wall Ben had been staring at intently when he had entered the suite. Hux cleared his throat.

"Training will commence at 8 tomorrow. Try not to be late this time, Supreme Leader." He said.

"Mmmhmm." Ben said, continuing to shield his face and lap.

Hux gave one more weirded out look to Ben before turning and exiting the room.

"Force users...." He muttered to himself as the door hissed behind him.

Ben let out a held breath and grasped at his pants, adjusting his arousal.

One minute he was minding his own business, and then he had suddenly felt them connect.

He had turned around to ask her what sassy comeback she had for him in response to his earlier behavior, but he was unable to get anything out. She had already released her hair from its up-do and by the time she had released the top of her dress, he was in pure shock. His pants tightened again as he recalled how she dressed for bed, the shape of the fabric as it slowly covered her bare chest.

Then Hux had rudely burst in. 8 am, he had said. Don't be late this time, he said.

"Well, fuck." Ben said, as it was obvious he was not going to get any sleep tonight.


	7. Linger

*slight mature content*

*inspired by 'Linger' by The Cranberries*

The following morning, Ben demanded coffee from the maintenance droid. He had barely slept a wink. He was due in the training facility in nearly an hour.

The droid wheeled over and presented him with a steaming cup. He took it from the droid.

"And wash these sheets too." He said, flinging a wadded up pile of fabrics at the droid. It beeped grumpily in response. He gulped down the drink, setting the cup down with a loud thunk before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

He felt sweaty and dirty. He stood in the shower, just letting the water wash over him for a while. He didn't know how he was going to face her now after the events that had transpired during their last connection. Let alone knowing the fact he had relieved himself of his erection last night at the memory of her breasts.

He placed a hand on the shower wall to brace himself, feeling lightheaded from exhaustion. How was he going to train the troops today when all he could think about was how he was failing. Failing at Snoke's training. Failing at resisting temptation. Failing at being Supreme Leader.

Ben huffed down to the training facility in a fog.

"Supreme Leader. I trust you slept well?" Hux said, greeting Ben halfway down the hall to the facility. Ben chose to ignore him.

"Wearing your gloves again I see." Hux commented. Ben adjusted his gloves at their mention.

"Today's training is going to be a little more... hands on." Ben said, removing his saber from his belt and igniting it.

The doors to the training facility opened and they walked inside. Herrera was waiting for them.

"Supreme Leader. General." She said, nodding to them.

"Have the medical droids on standby." Ben told her.

"Supreme Leader?"

"I said get the droids." Ben ordered. Hux snapped his fingers at the Commander Troopers, who quickly exited to retrieve the droids.

"Let's see how your troops can handle lightsaber combat." He said, rotating his saber in his hand and taking a fighting stance.

Several burns and one severed arm later, Ben dismissed the troops.

"They need work." He told Herrera as he belted his saber and removing his gloves. The medical droids were wheeling injured troopers down the hall to the medical ward.

"Supreme Leader. How necessary was that training?" She questioned.

"They need to be a better shot. If I can deflect their blasters with my blade, the scavenger can do the same."

"But the girl is just one member of the Resistance. We aren't going into battle against several Jedi"

"She is no Jedi." Ben corrected.

"Forgive my confusion, Supreme Leader."

"No more blind shots. I want precise aim. Regardless of who they are fighting, they need to be prepared."

"Yes Supreme Leader."

"We will train again in 2 days." He told her, turning to leave.

"I'm impressed." Hux purred, trailing behind Ben.

"Have JN-1428 reassigned to sanitation once his arm is reattached." He instructed.

"I had been worried about you, Ren." Hux said, slipping up. Ben halted and turned to glare at him.

"You were quite unlike yourself yesterday."

"As I said, I haven't been sleeping well."

"Yes, I had the medical droid sent to accounting."

"Accounting?"

"Yes. As a trash can."

"Ah."

"If it's any help, I find a hard drink and some female company do the job just fine when having trouble sleeping."

"Noted." Ben said, giving Hux a weird look.

"Too bad there aren't any Hosnian whores left. I blew them up, remember? Teehee."

"Tragic." Ben replied. Hux gave him a nod and strode off towards the command deck while Ben went to the throne room.

XXX

Rey stumbled out of her room looking a sight. Her hair was in tangles, drool still wet on the side of her lip. Chewie roared to greet her.

"Not so loud." She grumbled, holding her hands over her ears. She shuffled over to the holo table where Chewie offered a glass of juice to her.

"Thanks." She said and took a sip and immediately spit it out. The Porgs under the table scattered at her reaction.

"Ugh, Chewie, what is this?" He roared again.

"For what hangover?" Chewie just grumbled at her and pushed the drink to her mouth.

"All right, all right." Rey said, drinking the bitter concoction. She wiped at her lips.

She was glad the Resistance had cleared enough out of the first hanger to turn it into a set of dorms. Having the Falcon to herself and Chewie again was welcome, especially on a morning like this.

"Knock, knock!" Came a voice at the ramp. Finn, Poe, and Rose came up into the Falcon, Rose carrying a basket.

"Heyyyyy Rey, how ya feeling?" Finn asked her, as she hurried to smooth her hair.

"I've been better." She said. Finn and Poe laughed.

"I am never drinking again." She muttered, which made the boys laugh harder.

"Rey! You'll never guess what was delivered this morning!" Rose squealed. Rey looked at the time on the dash, it was just around lunch.

"The Queen sent a gift basket. It was huge." Finn said.

"Here! We brought some to share." Rose said, handing her the basket. Rey peeked inside. It was full of fresh fruits and vegetables and even some warm bread rolls.

"Thanks Rose." Rey said.

"We're going to start on the second hanger tomorrow. Are you going to come join?" Poe asked.

"I've got to do some training. I haven't trained in days." Rey said, thinking about the saber in her room.

"Okay, well you know where to reach us." Poe said. They bade goodbye and Rey went to go shower.

Later on, Rey went outside and sat under one of the trees at the edge of the swamp, overlooking the grassy hills. She propped open one of the sacred books she had taken from the island. It was heavy in her lap, the pages smelling of seaweed.

The ink was so faded it was hard to make out some of the words. The wording was ancient and confusing at times. If she was going to have to fight Ben and the First Order, she needed to learn all she could about the Jedi. She no longer had a teacher, so these would have to do.

Chewie had a campfire that night and roasted some weird looking frogs. They ate out in the swamp, Rey continuing to read by the firelight. Chewie stood up and roared to her. She looked up and smiled at him.

"All right, goodnight!" She said as Chewie walked inside the ship. She turned back to reading.

A few pages in, Rey realized she no longer heard the crackling of the fire. She lowered her book and looked up.

XXX

Ben was at a long metallic counter, his back to her. She stood up, shutting the book quickly.

"Good evening." he said, not turning around to look at her. He had two glasses on the counter and several glass bottles of various colors. She looked around. This room was different than the one from the other day.

"Doing some light reading?" He asked, reaching for one of the glasses and pouring in a mix of liquids.

"What do you want?" Rey asked. He turned to her, drink in hand.

"Just curious is all." He said, a smirk playing at his lips. His eyes went to her chest and he hurriedly looked away.

"Curious? About what?" She said.

"About what last night was about?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"I don't know what you mean." Rey said, frowning. "We didn't connect last night."

So she wasn't aware that they had connected. Interesting.

"It was late. You were wearing a dress." He said

"I was dressed up. So what?" She said, arms crossing.

"I saw what you did..... With the dress." Ben said, eyes studying her face. Her mouth popped open and she shut it quickly with a snap, her face turning five different shades of red. Her crossed arms raised, covering her chest.

She still couldn't clearly remember last night, but she had a feeling she didn't like what had happened. She REALLY needed to not drink again.

"Is that all?" She asked.

He sipped his drink again, his eyes looking down at his drink as he swirled it around, ice clinking gently at the sides of the glass.

"I can't sleep." He said. Rey stepped closer to him.

"Is it because of the dream where you drowned?" Rey asked quietly. Ben set his drink on the counter and turned his back to her advancing figure.

"I don't know." He said.

"They're just dreams, Ben." She said. "I had plenty of them on Jakku. You saw them. Desperate to sleep? I know you remember."

He hung his head slightly, remembering the first day they had met and how he had stolen her thoughts. Rey had reached the counter at this point.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Her hand reached out curiously, fingers trembling. She slowly placed them on the cool metal.

"Wow...." She whispered, running her hand back and forth on the counter.

"Did you know we could do this?" She asked him. She reached for the other glass that had been sitting out. "What else can I touch?" she looked around in awe. She wandered away from the counter and explored his suite, letting her fingers dust over every surface.

"Don't touch that." Ben said sharply as her fingers hovered over a golden feather inside a tiny black vase perched on a desk. Her hand flinched away.

"I'm sorry." She said. She went to the full length window and gazed out at the massive front of the cruiser. She noticed a large crack on the window and allowed her hand to trace the spider web like outlines of it. Ben stepped down from the counter to stand with her at the window, setting his drink down on the desk on his way over.

He sensed her conflict as she stared out into the galaxy. He stared at her face, and how her eyes almost glittered with the reflection from the window. He looked down at her hand, laying limp at her side. He slowly reached over and touched three fingers to the inside of her palm.

She took in a sharp breath, startled from her thoughts. Ben went to pull his hand away but she grasped onto it with fierceness.

"Ben." She whispered. "Don't be afraid."

He stared down at her. The warmth he could feel at her touch spread throughout his chest and he could feel the pull to the light throb at him.

"I feel it too." She said, a slight smile on her face.

"If you could return-" She started.

"Don't." Ben said, his eyes beginning to burn.

"Don't let it fade!" She said. He pried his hand away from her.

"I'm not trying to be rude. It's just your attitude." She said as he turned away from her and rubbed at his hand.

"Ben..." She said, reaching back out for him. "Please.... It's tearing me apart." tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"You're ruining everything!" he shouted at her as he whirled around to face her.

"So is this the way we stand? Is this just a game to you?" She shouted back, voice wavering.

"I'm in too deep, Rey." He spat. "I'm Supreme Leader now. The First Order awaits my every decision. I can't go to the light."

"I saw you turn." She whispered.

"And I saw you ruling by my side."

Rey hung her head.

"I'm confused. And I feel used." she confessed, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Ben sighed. He took a step forward, Rey's eyes darting up to meet his. He closed the distance between them.

"You know I'm such a fool for you." He whispered gently, wiping away her tear with his thumb.

"Ben..." She whispered.

The room became dark and suddenly she was back on Naboo, standing alone next to the fire, still burning weakly.

The tear on Ben's thumb lingered for a moment before sliding down his hand and dripping to the floor.


	8. Monster

*language warning*

*briefly inspired by 'The Monster' by Eminem*

She wasn't sure if he had meant that he was a fool for her as a compliment or as a rude remark. She cried herself to sleep anyways.

In the morning, she fixed her hair up in buns in preparation for some training with her new saber. Chewie had gone to help the others with the clearing of the hanger. She left the swamp and walked until she found a clearing for some meditation. Something Luke always did but Rey never was that into it. But it would help with her training, she would try it.

She sat down cross legged in the field, exhaling slowly and closing her eyes as she tried to empty her mind. She needed to feel the Force. Feel what she was destined for. What had the Force been trying to tell her?

A breeze rolled by and whisped at her hair. She shut her eyes tighter, reaching with her heart and mind. She could sense the movement of the watery core of the planet. She could sense the energy of the blades of grass that rest against her knees. She sensed a faint warmth that called to her. She instantly recognized it as Ben.

"Yes, but why him?" She whispered to the Force. She heard the eerie echo of Snoke in the throne room. "Darkness rises and light to meet it." She could feel the tug on her mind from when he attacked her in the throne room. Rey flinched, unable to make it stop, her heart beginning to race.

"The balance." said a soft male voice in her mind. The tug stopped and Rey felt her heartbeat calm at the odd familiarity of the voice she had heard back in the basement of Maz's castle. "These are your first steps."

Her eyes snapped open and she let out a gasp. She looked around but she was completely alone in the field.

The balance. The light meeting the dark. Her first steps. Could it be the Force was trying to tell her she had to work together with Ben?

But Ben was the Supreme Leader of the First Order. How could she work with him against the Resistance? She could never hurt her friends.

She stood up and dusted bits of grass off the scarf tied around her waist. She reached for the lightsaber in her bag, and she could feel its anticipation to be ignited. She turned it on, it humming loudly in the open field.

She took a few practice swings and rotated the saber in her hand, the familiarity of her staff training taking hold. She trained for hours, finally stopping when her arms were beginning to tire.

She sat back down on the grass, massaging her calves from all the lunges. She then hugged her knees to her chest as she recalled the voice from her meditation. 'These are your first steps'. She sighed and hung her head, her forehead resting on her knees. A tear forced it way out of her eye and she quickly wiped it away before getting up to head back to the Falcon.

And as she walked up the open ramp, the blue light that had been watching from the swamp vanished.

XXX

Ben finally got a decent nights rest, free of any Force funny business. Maybe Hux's solution of alcohol and women wasn't so crazy after all. It was late in the day, and it being the end of the work week, the cruiser was quiet with fewer troopers on duty. He made his way to the throne room for some meditation.

He turned on the shades of the windows and the views of the galaxy were covered slowly covered up with a blood red hue.

He relaxed into the throne, taking off his gloves and resting them on the armrest. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

"Grandfather." He whispered. He reached out for Anakin in his mind. Hoping for a sign. After all, he had promised to finish what Anakin had started.

Anakin fought against the Jedi code. Luke was a stickler for it, one of the reasons why Ben felt the need for a new order. The teachings were old, and quite frankly, Ben preferred the way his grandfather had interpreted things. That he had viewed compassion, which was essential to a Jedi, as unconditional love. Believing that they were encouraged to love others.

"Show me, Grandfather."

Ben let himself sink into meditation. Flashbacks of his training with Luke, the harsh judgment pushed upon him. Not only because he was his nephew, but because of Lukes doubts of where Bens loyalties laid. The night in his tent, waking to find Luke about to strike him down. The students that went on to become the Knights of Ren burning down the temple, Ben standing back, his anger holding him back from intervening as the building burned. Snoke appointing him leader of the Knights based on his heritage and the power he sensed inside him. The sharp pain Snoke would inflict upon him when there was a pull to the light.

His chest began to burn as the light began to pull. He could sense her. She was calm and focused and it made him feel at ease. The hum of a lightsaber echoed in his mind and a blurry vision of himself and Rey fighting side by side played out. But this wasn't a flashback of their fight inside the throne room, this was something new. He snapped out of the vision, almost expecting to see her in the room with him, but he was still alone.

Feeling frustrated, he headed back to his suite. He summoned one of the kitchen droids for some food. It was delivered on a silver platter as usual. Once finished, he went to set the platter on the bar counter when something caught his eye. It was the book Rey had been reading the night before. So now their connection allowed the transfer of physical objects. That gave him an uneasy feeling. The Force continued to surprise him with how they synced. He was sure it wouldn't be the last time. The book radiated with the energy of the Force. He reached out and gingerly picked it up. It was old and smelled funny. He flipped it open, browsing over the text. It was about the Jedi. He strode over to an armchair and sat down began to read.

There were so many outdated teachings that it was beginning to anger Ben as he browsed the yellowed pages. Where did she even find this book? If they were supposed to join together and fight like in his vision, there was no need for the ways of the Jedi. The galaxy didn't need the Jedi. It needed a new order. His order. He stood up and went over to the counter to make himself another drink, grumbling to himself. He turned around to go back to his chair when he saw her.

XXX

She hadn't noticed they had connected, obviously. She was fresh out of the shower, a gray towel wrapped around her, hair wet and slicked back. She was fussing with some clothes that were laid out on her bed. He could feel his face warm. He knew he had to bring attention to his presence so he cleared his throat. She jumped, clutching at the towel as she spun around.

"Ben!" She squeaked, crossing her legs under the towel. "You startled me. Why are you here? I wasn't thinking about you." Rey said quickly and defensively.

"I know." Ben said quietly. She couldn't tell if it was the light in the room or if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she thought she could see a hint of pink in Ben's pale face.

"Well?" She asked him, giving him a pointed look.

"Well, what?" He responded, a confused look on his face. She made a motion for him to turn around. He obliged. The sound of the towel falling to the floor with a soft pat was loud like an explosion in his ears. He could feel his face redden.

"You obviously wanted something then." She said as she began to dress behind him.

"Ahem. Yes." He said, fidgeting slightly. "You forgot something." He said.

"Forgot?" She said, her voice slightly muffled as she was pulling a top over her head.

Ben reached an arm backwards, holding the book out to her.

"The sacred texts!" She said with a small gasp.

He could feel her approach him. The book was removed from his hands. He turned around, trying not to seem alarmed, or eager, at how close they were.

"Objects now too?" She asked, sensing the answer from him. Ben remained quiet. He watched her as she ran a hand down the worn cover of the book.

"Did you know, Jedi were permitted to take Force-sensitive children away from their families without their parents consent?" Ben asked. She blinked and looked up in surprise. "That's kidnapping."

"You read the book." She whispered.

"I can read." He said rudely.

"I thought you hated the Jedi." She said.

"Exactly why we need a new order in the galaxy." He replied. She frowned.

"You're still trying to save me." Ben sensed. "Don't hold your breath." He told her.

"You think I'm crazy." She said, sensing his thoughts.

"Yeah, I think you're crazy." He replied. 'Among other things.' he thought to himself.

Rey suddenly blushed.

'Shit'. Ben thought. She heard that. She bit her lip, stifling a giggle. She had heard that too.

Ben concentrated really hard on what he had for dinner.

"Well." Rey said, taking a step back from Ben, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "Thank you for bringing back my book."

"You're welcome." He said, unable to help himself. Rey blushed again. He took a step back from her as well, beginning to concentrate on ending their connection. And just as he found himself back in his suite, he heard a soft voice in his head.

'I'm sorry I called you a monster'

XXX

It was another restless night for Ben. The apology replaying over and over in his head. His mind racing over how the Force connections had strengthened to the point that not only could he end them at will, but now they were able to sense each others thoughts. He wanted to try connecting at will next. It took a lot of willpower to not try it now, considering it was 3 am and the last time he woke up in her bed, it had not ended well.

After breakfast, he quickly made his way to the throne room, ordering the troopers standing guard to not let anyone in. He paced back and forth for a little bit, trying to calm himself down. What if it didn't work? What if it did and things went horribly wrong? What the hell was he even doing?

"FUCK!" He yelled, gripping his hand into a fist. He ran his hands through his hair. 'Maker, help me.'

He closed his eyes and concentrated on Rey. He searched the Force for her light. It felt far away, like a tiny blip on a radar. He focused on the light, feeling the heat in his chest again. He egged it to come closer with his thoughts. The light became stronger, and when he could feel a white hot intensity, he opened his eyes.

It was bright, the sun beaming down from above. And there she was, in a open field of grass, saber in hand, making the motions of a training regimen. He glanced around. No one else was in sight. He watched her for a few minutes before making his way down the grassy hill towards her. The ground felt unsteady underfoot.

Rey continued her lunges, pausing every so often to reposition her fighting stance.

"Your left side is weak." He said. Rey squawked out of surprise and nearly fell over as she whipped around.

"BEN!" She yelled. He just smirked.

"You can't keep doing this." She said, composing herself.

"Doing what."

"Sneaking up on me."

A look of panic flooded her eyes.

'Oh no, he knows where I am now.' she thought, the grip on her lightsaber tightening.

"Chill out, Rey. I've known you've been here for a while. Naboo? Really? How unoriginal." Her mouth fell open.

"How long have you known?" She did her best not to think about the Resistance. His eyes had a hint of amusement in them as he recalled.

"Since the first time I woke up in your bed." Her face went red.

"How?"

"I could smell it."

Rey's nose wrinkled at the words.

"Naboo has a very unique scent. I remember it well." He slowly took a seat on the ground, a hand brushing over the blades of grass. "My mother used to take me here." He said thoughtfully.

Her eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked, taking a step closer to him and sitting down beside him. He let out a breath that almost sounded like a soft laugh.

"I had a life before Snoke, you know." he said, propping one knee up and resting his arm on it.

"I kind of figured." Rey said, a smile playing at her lips. Ben smirked.

"There was a perfume she liked." He told her, gazing out at the sprawling landscape. "I had....." He stopped, unable to make out the words Han, or father.

"I came here and bought her some once. That's all." He said, staring down at his hand, flexing his fingers.

Rey slowly reached across to the hand Ben was using to prop himself up with. She brushed the tops of his fingers with her hand.

"Tell me more." She whispered.

Up the hill in a grove of trees, an aura of blue gazed upon the two.

"I don't like this one bit." Luke said to Yoda.


	9. Fields Of Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The point of view will bounce between multiple characters this chapter, bear with me!

*briefly inspired by 'Fields Of Gold' by Sting*

Luke's ghost stared grumpily down the hill at Ben and Rey.

"Too much like Obi-Wan you are." Yoda said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stuck in old ways he was."

"Excuse me, Master Yoda, but I was simply following the Jedi code." Said the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi, emerging to join them in the swamp.

"Attachments are forbidden to the Jedi." Luke complained. "We can't let this hand holding progress any further."

XXX

"Tell me more." She had whispered, gently touching the top of his hand.

Ben moved his hand out from under her touch. He was beginning to feel a little too human. A little too 'Ben'.

"There's not much to tell." He said.

"I'm sure there is." Rey said.

"My parents were always busy. Their natures clashed. I felt abandoned. Enough said."

Rey could sense the irritation in his voice.

"One time, I saved a Happabore on a scavenging run." Rey said, blurting out a random fact about her own past, trying to lighten the mood.

"What do you remember about your past?" He asked.

Rey shrugged.

"I used to work for various scavengers, until they realized I was doing a better job than them. So started to scavenge on my own. Built a speeder. Studied schematics. The usual."

"How did you learn to pilot then?"

"I had an old BTL-A4 Y-wing computer display. I used the flight simulator."

"Impressive."

It was quiet between the two for a moment.

"You're a good pilot." He told her quietly. She blushed.

"Thanks." She said.

He set his hand back down on the ground, allowing himself to feel vulnerable.

XXX

"Mmmmm.... The last Jedi you were, Luke."

"Master Yoda is right. Neither of them are Jedi. We have no reason to intervene." Obi-Wan said to Luke.

Luke was getting frustrated.

"But she is our only hope for the Jedi to be reborn!" Luke said, motioning at Rey. Yoda shook his head.

"Jedi, no. A new order there shall be."

XXX

"Ben?" Rey asked as they continued to sit on the hill. "Why hasn't the First Order come for me if you knew I was here?"

"It's..... complicated."

"Because you're Supreme Leader now?" She asked.

"Please don't dig at my mind." He said, slightly perturbed. Rey blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry." She whispered as she let go of his thoughts. He had used manners again. She liked it when he was polite.

"General Hux wants control. He has wanted control since the day I met him. If he gets it, I won't be able to create my new order. He will destroy half the galaxy in a heartbeat. But I'm in control. The First Order listens to me. That's why they haven't come for you."

Rey shuffled her feet in the grass. It wasn't exactly the answer she was hoping for, but it at least was something.

"This..... New order." Rey said. "If there is no Jedi, no Sith, No Empire, No Rebellion..... What will there be?"

XXX

Luke balked at Yoda.

"You're saying you agree with him!?"

"Agree with whom?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ben wants to start a new order in the galaxy. To let the past die. To forgo all his Jedi teachings."

"He has too much of his grandfather in him." Obi-Wan sighed.

XXX

"Snoke trained me in both the Dark and the Light. He saw me as the ideal Force warrior, with my power and my heritage. I believe in an order where you aren't defined to where you belong just because you have the Force."

Rey felt confused. She still had much to learn about the Jedi and the Force. She thought about the books back on the Falcon.

"You still need a teacher." Ben told her.

"Last time you told me that you nearly pushed me off a cliff."

"Yeah, and then you cut my face."

Rey hung her head with guilt.

"It's all right." He told her, with a small smirk. "My grandfather had a scar too."

XXX

"That's my boy." Anakin said, appearing behind Luke.

"Great, not you too." Luke grumbled.

"Nice to see you too, son." Anakin told Luke.

"The boy idolizes you too much." Luke blamed Anakin. "He idolizes your dark side. Your blatant disregard for the Jedi teachings - OW!"

Yoda whacked Luke in the shin with his cane.

"Balance to the Force there needs to be."

"But I already brought balance to the Force years ago."

XXX

"I didn't find out that Darth Vader was my grandfather until I was 24. That tells you how much my family actually cares about me."

"Your family cares for you. I can feel it. Leia -"

"Don't say her name." Ben said harshly.

Rey frowned.

"Ben-" Rey began.

"No! You don't understand, Rey. My family is famous. A smuggler. A racer. Heroes of the Rebellion. Royalty. A Senator. Legends. Everyday people would tell me how great they were and how great things were expected from me as well. Then they shipped me off to get me away from them. Once I was training with Skywalker, I trained my hardest. I struggled. And when I started to become strong, Skywalker sensed my strength and turned on me. If they had truly cared about me, if she had cared, she wouldn't have sent me away."

"That's not true at all. She cares, Ben. And so do I."

XXX

"Rise again, the darkness did." Yoda pointed out.

"And the light to greet it." Obi-Wan said. "There may be no Jedi, but that doesn't stop the Force."

"Possible to learn the way of the Force, and become a Jedi one would not."

Luke sighed and looked back down the hill.

"Well, at least they're fighting again."

XXX

"Why would you care? You're just...." He stopped.

"Go on. Say it. I know you're thinking it." Rey said.

"No." Ben said, turning his head away from her. She stood up in anger.

"Scavenger scum? Jakku nobody? Desert orphan? You've already told me I'm nothing."

He stood up as well, attempting to intimidate her with his towering figure.

"I did." He said. "I told you were nothing. But not to me."

"You just said that so I'd join you in ruling the galaxy." She shot, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You refused my offer!" Ben shot back, also jabbing a finger in her direction.

"Why would you want me to rule the galaxy with you anyways?"

"Because I thought you liked me!" He shouted.

"I do like you!" She shouted back.

"Well I like you too!"

They both were breathing heavy, out of breath from anger.

Ben quickly raised his hand and without warning, grabbed her with the Force and pulled her tight into him, grabbing her face and raising it to his, kissing her on the mouth.

XXX

"Not anymore." Obi-Wan said, slightly smiling.

"Get it!" Anakin cheered. Luke squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I hate you all." He said.

"Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" said Qui-Gon as he appeared to join the others.


	10. I Believe In A Thing Called Love

*brief mature content*

*briefly inspired by 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' by The Darkness*

His hands on her face felt warm. His lips soft and wanting. He held her there, her hands pressed against his chest, feeling the quickening thump of his heartbeat.

What was even happening anymore? He was supposed to be her enemy. He wanted her friends dead. Her friends wanted him dead. But that was Kylo Ren. Not Ben. This was Ben. Hiding behind the dark persona he had created. Ben Solo wasn't dead. He was very much alive.

Rey allowed her hands to slide up his chest and across his broad shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let a hand inch its way in his tangle of dark hair. Her body rose into his as she pressed her lips back. He let down a hand, placing it at the small of her back. The other hand he let graze across her cheek as he wove his fingers into her hair and pulled her face closer.

She could feel herself get dizzy and started to stumble back. The kiss broke and Ben held her up by her waist.

Ben's mind was swimming with a million thoughts and Rey couldn't even concentrate on a single one. His brown eyes wide, almost in fear, perhaps in awe.

"Rey... I..." He started, but trailed off. He let go of her waist.

She blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I.... Better get back to the cruiser...." Ben said nervously.

"Mmmhmm." Rey said nodding and biting her lip, trying to hold back a shy smile.

Ben vanished, and Rey was left alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed as she turned to stare across the vast Naboo plains.

Things just got a lot more complicated.

XXX

"Anakin's grandson just had his first kiss." Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon.

"How sweet." Qui-Gon said.

"So much for rebuilding the Jedi." Luke said, throwing his hands up in the air in desperation. "What do we do now?"

"Told you about the time I went to the beach, have I?" Yoda asked the group of Jedi.

"Not this story again." Luke said, rolling his eyes.

XXX

Rey walked down to the hangers to check on Finn, Poe, and Rose. Old battle droid transports were being gutted for their parts.

"Rey! Where ya been?" Poe said, waving to her from atop a pile of metal. She just blushed, thinking of where she had been. Poe grinned and hopped down.

"I'm glad you're here. Come see what we've built." He took her over to the center of the second hanger. A series of computers had been constructed using some holo screens recovered from the transports.

"We haven't gotten the communication up yet. Rose is working on that right now." He looked up at the ceiling where Rose was dangling dangerously from a harness as she was rigging up some metal and wires.

"REY!!!! HEY!!!!" Rose said, wildly waving at her, causing the harness to sway.

"Rose! Be careful!" Finn said, as he pulled back on the wire supporting her harness.

"Sorry Finn! Hi Rey!!! I'll be right down." Rose said. She flipped down a mask to cover her face as she ignited a metallic torch. Sparks shot out as Rose welded a satellite to the top of the hanger. A few more sparks later, she gave Finn a thumbs up sign and he slowly lowered her back to the floor.

"We are good to go!" She announced. "Fire it up!"

Connix flipped on a large generator and slowly the hue of the computer screens buzzed to life.

"All systems operational." Connix reported. Cheers erupted in the hanger.

Leia entered the hanger, flanked by C3-PO and R2-D2.

"Send out another distress signal." Leia ordered. "Let them know the Resistance still stands."

"Yes General." Connix said. She and two other commanders grabbed for headsets and started typing away.

R2 whistled and beeped.

"I know R2 - this certainly is exciting!" C3-PO replied. R2 made his way over to Rey and gave a long, low beep.

Rey smiled at the droid.

"I know. I miss him too." She said, giving a quick rub to his head. His lights blinked and he whistled at the attention. Leia came over to join them.

"How is your training going, Rey?" Leia asked her.

"It's coming along." She answered, trying her best to block any lingering thoughts about Ben.

"I'm glad to hear it." Leia said. She took one of Rey's hands and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Stay strong dear." She told her. Rey just nodded. Leia let go of her hand and went over to monitor the computers.

"Hey Rey, are you going to stay for dinner?" Finn asked, coming over with Rose.

"I suppose I can. Beats another night of fish back at the Falcon." She said. "What's on the menu?"

"Fish." Rose and Finn replied at the same time. They all laughed.

The Queen had supplied the Resistance with a variety of fresh foods and local cuisine. It seemed they were eating better here at the hangers than she was back at the Falcon. She would have to join her friends for dinner more often.

"What's new Rey?" Poe asked, causing Rey to choke on her food. Rose quickly patted Rey's back.

"Just.... *cough* Training." She said, taking a sip of water. Poe nodded.

"For the best anyways. The First Order has been awfully quiet this last week."

"They'll be coming soon. General Hux isn't one to back down easily." Finn said.

"Yeah, and that git Kylo Ren too." Poe added.

"He's not that bad." Rey said. Her friends stopped eating and just stared at her. Rose dropped her fork with a clatter.

"Rey, he has tried to kill all of us at least once."

"Twice for me." Poe said, raising a hand.

"I said 'at least'." Finn said to Poe. He turned back to Rey.

"He killed Han Solo. He tried to kill Luke. He isn't a good person Rey." Finn said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"That's Kylo Ren. It's Ben that's not so bad." She said. Rose just looked confused.

"Rey." Poe said, his voice getting soft and serious. "Ben Solo is dead. No one ever mentions Ben around Leia."

"But she mentioned him to me once." Rey said. Poe blinked in surprise, and then frowned.

"If the General wishes to speak of him, that is on her. But as far as the Resistance is concerned. He is as good as dead." He went back to his fish, tearing at it angrily.

It was quiet for a few more moments, save for the sound of eating. Rey stood up, bumping the table and nearly knocking over drinks. She didn't apologize, she just went outside. She needed to be alone.

Rey leaned against the entrance to the hanger, watching a group of Shaak run by in the fields across the way.

"Rey?" came Rose's curious voice from behind her.

Rey turned her head.

"Hey Rose." she said.

"Rey, if you say Ben is alive...... I believe you." She said.

"Really?" Rey asked. Rose nodded.

"I mean, you've encountered Kylo Ren more than any of us. If you can sense that Ben is still alive, I believe you."

Rey gave her a small smile.

"Thanks Rose."

"I don't think I'd like to meet Kylo Ren, but I wouldn't mind meeting Ben." Rose said, stepping closer to Rey. Rey looked down and smiled to herself.

"He has his moments." Rey said, looking back across the fields. Rose studied Rey's face, and smiled.

They were interrupted by a series of beeping noises coming from the computer console in the adjoining hanger.

"Where is the General?" Poe shouted as everyone ran towards to the computers.

"What? What is it?" Rey asked Rose. Her face was beaming.

"Someone's replied to our distress signal!" She said and the two raced to join the others.

XXX

Ben exited the throne room, the doors swinging open forcefully and knocking one of the guards over. He strode - swaggered really - down the hallway. His body felt as it was on fire. His lips were still warm, her touch lingering on the back of his neck. And then like an ass, all he said was that he had to get back to his cruiser. She hadn't seemed phased by it, but he still wished he had said something better to her. But what does the Supreme Leader of the First Order say to the woman his entire fleet is trying to murder after you've just kissed?

He felt the need for some.... He hated to think it, advice. Woman advice. And the only person on the ship he could think to seek out for it was unfortunately Hux.

He made his way to one of the upper floors of the ship, where Hux had his quarters. Ben sensed the hesitation of the guard but he stepped aside and let Ben in anyways .

Ben stopped in his tracks. He already wasn't happy about coming to see Hux, but the sight of a random trooper pleasuring Hux between his legs as he sat in his armchair was just as unsettling.

"Supreme Leader." Hux said, extremely calm, clearly not phased by the interruption. "Good evening."

Ben tried not to look and cleared his throat.

"May we talk in private?" Ben asked pointedly. Hux twitched his hand and the woman stopped. He situated himself as she stood up.

"Shall I return later, Armie?" she asked.

"I'll fetch for you later." He said, shooing her away. Ben stepped about three feet to the side to allow the trooper to leave the room. Hux smirked.

"Is this an urgent matter Supreme Leader?" Hux said.

"You do this often?" Ben asked, choosing to stay standing.

"I told you the cure to insomnia is a hard drink and women. Would you like to borrow her?" Hux asked as if she was his property. Ben ignored the question.

"Speaking of.... *ahem* Women...." Ben said. Hux leaned forward in his chair.

"Go on..." He purred, obviously interested.

"How.... Err..." Ben stuttered, trying to find the words. Hux was obviously pleased at this.

"How to pleasure a woman?"

"No no no! No. NO. I'm not an idiot." Ben said.

"Then what?" Hux said, sitting back in his seat.

"How.... Do you..... Talk.... To women."

Ben felt a brush at the side of his leg. Millicent was sniffing around his boots again.

"You use words, Ren. Really? You interrupted my night for this? Come here, Millie." Hux said, calling for Millicent. She scurried over to Hux.

"I mean.... If you have.... Feelings." Ben said. Hux began to laugh.

"Oh, Ren. Men like us don't have feelings for women."

Ben frowned.

"I take charge and I get what I want when it comes to women. You obviously have failed Supreme Leader Snoke if you are being tempted by feelings for a woman. Is it Herrera?" Hux inquired.

Ben shook his head.

"Pity." Hux said, reaching down and petting Millicent.

"If I were you, Supreme Leader, I'd reflect on Snokes training. There is no time for 'feelings' at a time like this."

Ben nodded.

"The next wave of troopers will be ready in the morning. Your focus should be on them and taking down the Resistance." Hux continued.

"I'll see you at 8 am then." Ben told him before turning around and exiting the suite.

As he approached his own room, Captain Herrera and one of the officers from the main deck met him.

"Supreme Leader, you're needed on the command bridge immediately." Herrera said. Ben followed the two to the deck where there was a buzz amongst the Comlink operators.

"Supreme Leader." said Commander Thanisson, said, giving a nod of his head to Ben. "We have spotted an outgoing message." He said, indicating a blinking red dot on the main holo projector.


	11. End Game

*briefly inspired by 'End Game' by Taylor Swift*

"From where?" Ben asked cautiously.

"The origins are unknown, Supreme Leader." Thanisson replied. "We are tracking it as we speak."

As the Comlink operators tapped away, the blinking red dot of the transmission continued to blip across the holo screen.

Hux burst onto the command bridge.

"I want this transmission traced!" Hux ordered, pointing angrily at the operators.

"We are already tracing the signal, General." Thanisson sighed, rolling his eyes at Hux. Hux glared at him.

"You better be." He snapped.

The whole room was awaited the results with anticipation. Ben kept clenching and unclenching his fist as the seconds passed by.

"Sir!" Officer Milligan said. "The message is coming from Cloud City."

Ben let out a small sigh of relief. Hux looked disgusted at the results.

"Cloud City? Where was it headed to? Transcribe the message!" Hux badgered.

The operators tapped away at their computers.

"The destination and contents have been blocked. It needs to be de-coded."

"Well find someone to UNBLOCK it!" Hux yelled.

XXX

"Who is it from?" Finn asked as everyone scrambled around the computer.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Connix said exasperated, as she reached for the Comlink headset.

"It's..... It's coded." Connix said.

"Let me see that!" Rose said, shoving her small frame towards the front of the communication module.

Rose started typing away quickly, clicking here and there as the computer continued to beep.

"There!" She said with a flourish.

Everyone squinted at the screen.

"Cloud City?" Rose read. "Who do we know in Cloud City?"

Connix did some typing at the console.

"A Bloom Calrissian?" She read aloud. Poe went pale.

"Shit." He whispered. Rey and Finn looked at him.

"Do you know him?" Finn asked.

"She." Poe corrected. "And she's my ex-girlfriend."

XXX

Rey made her way back to the Falcon. It was very late at this point, and she was surprised Chewie hadn't come looking for her. As she turned to walk up the ramp, she stopped.

"Rey." Said a stern voice from behind her. She whipped around, reaching for her saber in the process and igniting it.

The pale blue ghost of Luke stepped into view, standing in the clearing Chewie had made for campfires.

"Master Luke?" Rey gasped.

"Rey." He continued. "I am very disappointed in you." He said.

"What did I do?" She asked, turning off her saber and putting it away.

"Rey...." Luke said, with a warning tone. He folded his arms and gave her a pointed stare. "I saw you and Ben."

Rey felt her face become warm.

"He is using you Rey. He is seducing you to the dark side. Literally."

"He is not." Rey said defensively.

"You are the last hope for the Jedi to be reborn. You can't involve yourself with him."

"You said yourself the Jedi needed to end."

"That I did." Luke said nodding. "The old Jedi order ended with my death. It is up to you to bring forth a new Jedi order."

"I never asked for this." Rey said. She turned to go up the ramp but her feet were froze in place.

"Let me go." Rey told him.

"Not until you listen." He replied.

"You're not my father!" Rey shouted. "You can't tell me what to do!"

She felt shocked at the words that had come out of her mouth. She knew Luke sensed it.

"See what I mean? His darkness is beginning to affect you. Let him go."

"No." Rey said firmly. "I'm not giving up on him like you did." Rey said. She pushed back against the Force hold he had on her, breaking free and running onto the Falcon.

Rey slammed the button to raise the ramp, startling a sleepy Chewie awake. He groaned softly.

"I'm fine." She snapped before huffing off to her room.

XXX

It was past midnight and the Comlink operators were still unable to decode the destination of the message and its contents. Ben went to his room, not looking forward to having to be up early for the combat training. Hux had continued to stay on the bridge. Another reason Ben wasn't looking forward to the morning. Hux was horrible when he was cranky. Which, ironically, seemed to be most of the time anyways.

Ben changed into a black short sleeved top and a matching pair of pants. He shut the curtains to the wide window, dimmed the lights, and slid into the red silk sheets of his bed. As he tried to fall asleep in the darkness, a soft snuffle of breath broke through the silence of the room. He turned over to find Rey fast asleep next to him.

He allowed himself into her thoughts. She wasn't sleeping well. She was frustrated and torn over something Luke had told her. She was remembering when she briefly fought against him in the rain on Ahch-To.

"I'm not giving up on him." She was telling Luke, as water poured down from the sky.

"Let him go!" Luke yelled at her. Then he heard his own voice in her head.

"Let go!" He was yelling.

Ben gently placed a hand on her shoulder and she jolted awake.

"It's just me." He whispered in the dark in an attempt to calm her. She sat up.

She wasn't in her bed this time. She rubbed the sheets between her fingers, staring off into the darkness of the room. The fabric was soft and cool, not scratchy like the kind she had on the Falcon. She shuddered. All the years in the Jakku desert had left her feeling uncomfortable when it came to the coldness of space. She laid back down, facing Ben. He was staring up at the ceiling, his hands behind his head.

"Can't sleep?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I was dreaming when you woke me." Rey said.

"I saw it." Ben answered. It grew quiet between them. He could sense she felt bothered.

"You're cold." He told her.

"Are you in my mind again?"

"No." he lied.

The little spunk. She had begun thinking about their kiss in the field on purpose.

"How about now." She asked. Ben broke away from her thoughts. He went back to staring at the ceiling.

Hux's words on how he shouldn't be having feelings for a woman echoed in his mind. This was all very wrong in many ways, too many to count. She had called him names. He hurt her friends. He was a killer. He had issues and chips on both his shoulders. His reputation proceeded him. He was past knee deep in the Dark side. He had made mistakes and choices that were hard to deny. But yet - she hadn't rejected his kiss, she had reciprocated it. The fact she was in a bed with him without her screaming her head off this time was nice. It was easier to go on ignoring the truth, that she was slowly turning him from Kylo Ren.

He peeked over at Rey, hoping she hadn't been listening to his thoughts. She was asleep. He reached an arm over to her, wrapping it around her side, and pulled her in close.

He woke up to his alarm startling him awake. His bed was warm for once. The connection had stayed intact through the night. Rey's hair sprawled across his pillows. He laid there for a moment, watching her sleeping figure. He traced a finger down the length of her curves, careful not to wake her. He longed to kiss her again, but he didn't want to chance waking her up again. He got up and went to take a shower, his chest pinching when he returned to find her gone from the bed.

Down in the training quarters, Herrera was waiting for him with the new troopers already lined up in their squadrons. Ben noticed the number of troopers seemed fewer than last weeks.

"We are short a sector." Ben said to Herrera.

"Yes, Supreme Leader. General Hux took a squad to Cloud City early this morning."

"HE WHAT?" Ben shouted.

"The operators couldn't decode the message recovered last night, so he set out to do some interrogation."

Ben angrily gripped his saber.

"I want every blaster polished and recharged before I get back." Ben ordered through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Herrera said. Ben stormed off, headed for the command bridge.

XXX

Ben's alarm had woken her up. She had continued to lay there, pretending to be asleep. It must have worked because she felt him run a finger from her shoulder to her waist, politely stopping at her hip. He got up and exited to the bathroom, where she soon heard the shower turn on.

As soon as she stood up out of the bed, she was almost knocked back as she felt herself snap back to her room on the Falcon. She looked at the clock. Not even Chewie would be awake at this time.

She got dressed and hastily put her hair up in a single bun, grabbing her bag and saber and heading towards the ramp.

Once the ramp had lowered, Rey peeked around cautiously. There was no sign of Luke. She hurried down the ramp and out of the swamp, eager to return to the hangers.

"We told you not to intervene, Luke." Obi-Wan said, appearing at the swamp edge along with Luke and Yoda. They watched her trot down the hill.

"Pushing her away to him you are." Yoda agreed.

"No I'm not." Luke said. Yoda whacked at Lukes legs with his cane again.

"Would you stop that?" Luke asked, flinching away.

"Meddle you must not. Guide them, the Force will."

"Trust in the Force, Luke." Obi-Wan chimed in. Luke sighed and watched as Rey's figure continued to grow smaller in the distance.

"Remember, lose Rey we must not."

"Yes Master Yoda."


	12. Cloud City

*language warning*

As Rey approached the hangers, a large yacht class ship was entering the atmosphere, prepping for landing. Rey quickened her pace, soon joining the other Resistance members as they gathered around to greet the new arrival.

"This is so exciting!!!" Rose squealed. Poe just looked uncomfortable. Leia laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, before moving past him to be at the front of the crowd.

A bottom door opened on the ship and steps folded outwards.

"Auntie Leia!!!"

A dark skinned young woman with long braids wearing a baggy blue top and gold pants emerged. She raced down the steps and quickly hugged Leia in a tight embrace.

"So glad you received our message, Bloom." Leia told her, kissing her on both cheeks. "Is Lando with you?" Leia asked.

"Actually, Daddy doesn't know I came here."

"Any word on the other allies?" Leia inquired.

"They're scared. They're afraid of what will happen if the First Order finds out they responded to your message." Bloom explained to Leia. "Daddy told me to wait it out, but I came anyways. I'm here to help in anyway that I can."

"We need ships. Badly." Leia said. Bloom nodded.

"I think I can help with that." She smiled. "I know a guy."

There was a snort from the crowd. Bloom looked towards the noise. It was Poe.

"Well, well, well. Nice to see you again Poe." She said, making her way over to Poe.

"Bloom...." Poe said, nodding his head briefly.

"I'm Rose!" Rose squeaked. "Your hair is so pretty." She gushed.

"Aw, you're too kind!" Bloom said, brushing at her braids with a hand.

"Finn." Finn said, reaching out a hand to Bloom. Poe shot him a look. 'What?' mouthed Finn to Poe.

"I'm Rey." Rey said, introducing herself. Bloom shook her hand as well. There was a loud screech from BB-8 as he zoomed over from inside the hanger.

"BB-8!!!!!" Bloom said happily, crouching down to greet the droid. She rubbed at the underside of his chin, causing him to purr with delight. Poe rolled his eyes.

"Can you really get us ships?" Rose asked.

"Of course. Anything for Leia." Bloom said, a shrug of her shoulder. She looked around.

"Is this all that's left?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Rey said. "We escaped from the First Order on Crait."

"How'd you make it out if you've got no ships?"

"We've got one." Poe said. "The Millennium Falcon."

"Uncle Han is here?" Bloom asked excitedly. Finn and Rey looked uncomfortably at each other.

"We better go inside." Rose said quickly.

XXX

Ben demanded to be connected to the ship that Hux took to Cloud City. He appeared over the blue hue of the holo projector.

"Ah. Good morning Supreme Leader. Sorry that I am unable to join you for training." Hux said airily.

"WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO TAKE A SHIP TO CLOUD CITY?" Ben roared.

"Me, of course."

"I AM THE SUPREME LEADER. YOU DO AS I COMMAND. GET YOUR SORRY GINGER ASS BACK HERE AT ONCE."

Hux looked taken aback.

"Supreme Leader, we have a lead. Once we find the Resistance scum we can blast them to smithereens. This message is our first piece of evidence to their location, I am sure of ----"

His voice cut off as Ben started to choke him with the Force through the holo connection.

"NOW." Ben yelled.

"Yes..... Supreme..... Leader...." Hux gasped.

Ben let go of his hold and turned the projector off with a slam of his fist, smashing the button.

"Fix that." Ben ordered one of the officers before heading back down to the training quarters.

XXX

Leia and Bloom had gone off to talk in private over what had happened with Han. The others went to grab breakfast.

"So Poe, what exactly happened between you two?" Finn asked, indicating Poe and Bloom.

"We met at the Mirrin Prime Republic Base. We were both pilots in the Starfighter Corps."

"That's how you met, not why you broke up." Rose pointed out. Poe slammed a fist on the table.

"Why is everybody so interested in my past relationship?" He asked loudly. Some of the other Resistance members stared over at him due to his outburst.

"Why does she keep referring to Leia as her Aunt?" Rey asked.

"Her father is Lando Calrissian. He and Han were best friends." Poe explained. "He is also Kylo Ren's godfather." Poe said with hint of bitterness in his voice as he spoke the name.

"Oh." Rey said, hanging her head.

"Where is her mother?" Rose asked.

"She's adopted. Lando raised her on his own. He saw how happy Han and Leia were in the beginning as parents. He wanted the same as them. At least she didn't turn out as evil as Kylo Ren."

"She seems nice." Rose said. Poe made a face.

"Excuse me, Captain Dameron." C3-PO asked, walking up to them, closely followed by R2-D2. "There is an incoming transmission on Ms. Calrissians ship. Have you seen her?"

"She's with the General." Poe said, standing up. "I'll go get them."

Poe and the others followed Leia and Bloom onto the ship. Bloom activated a blinking button on the ships console and a holo projection appeared. An angry man with dark skin, white hair and a moustache appeared.

"BLOOM ORGANA CALRISSIAN. Care to explain why First Order troops are snooping around my city???" Lando asked, arms folded angrily.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I had to." Bloom said, eyes red from crying. "Daddy, Uncle Han is dead."

The projection was quiet.

"Leia...." Lando said quietly, his projection turning to look at the General. "Is this true?"

"Yes.... I'm so sorry Lando." Leia said. Lando put a hand to his head, and looked down in sadness and frustration.

"It was Ben wasn't it?" Lando said, still looking down.

"It was Kylo Ren." Leia said.

"Leia." Lando said, sighing and shaking his head. "They're the same person."

"No, they're not." Rey said, stepping forward. "Ben would never do such a thing."

"Rey." Poe said, grabbing her arm to pull her back.

"And who are you?" Lando asked.

"I'm Rey. The pilot of the Millennium Falcon." she told him. Landos eyes popped.

"My ship?" He gasped.

"It's not your ship. You lost it in a game of sabbac." Leia reminded him, as Han often loved to do.

"Yeah well.... That hunk of junk means a lot to me." Lando explained.

"See Rey? EVERYONE thinks its junk." Finn said. Rey gave Finn a dirty look.

"Just sayin'." He said, putting his hands up in defense.

"Lando. We are desperate for resources. Our allies have not responded to our distress signal."

"Like I told Bloom, they're all scared Leia. They know what happened to the Hosnian system."

"Yes, but we destroyed Starkiller Base. That won't happen again." Poe said.

"Are you sure of that?" Lando questioned Poe. "They had two Death Stars. How do you know they don't have another Starkiller waiting to strike?"

"I worked on the base Mr. Calrissian." Finn spoke up. "If there had been two, I would know." Lando thought for a moment.

"All right, look. I can get you some supplies. In the meantime, I will try to reach out to the others and convince them to help." Lando said.

"Thank you Lando." Leia said. Lando nodded and the connection ended.

XXX

In the ship hanger on the cruiser, Ben awaited the arrival of Hux and the troopers from Cloud City. Hux strode off the ship in a haughty manner.

"Supreme Leader." Hux greeted him. Ben punched him in the face, sending Hux flailing backwards and into the 2 commander troopers behind him.

"My nose!" Hux cried, his voice muffled under his gloved hand, glistening with fresh blood. Ben turned and began to walk away.

"Supreme Leader?" one of the commanders asked, awaiting instruction as Hux lay on the floor moaning.

"Fetch a medical droid." Ben said. "And someone mop the floor."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

Ben strode away back to the training quarters.

"Supreme Leader, the blasters have been polished and recharged." Herrera reported.

"Commence target practice. Let's see if their aim has improved." Ben said.

"As you command, Supreme Leader."

Ben flexed his right hand as he observed the sloppy shots. His knuckles were red. He smirked at the memory of hitting Hux and they way he had fallen back, writhing like a Rathtar tentacle.

"They need work. We will train again tomorrow."" Ben told Herrera.

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

He left and headed to the command bridge.

"Is there a report from Hux's investigation?" Ben asked Thanisson.

"Yes." Thanisson said. He tapped at the console.

"Scanners found no trace of the Corellian freighter. All subjects questioned were cooperative."

"That will be all." Ben said.

"Supreme Leader?"

Ben turned his head to look at Thanisson.

"There has been another transmission detected."

"And?"

"Same as the original. Sent from Cloud City."

Thanisson was interrupted as Hux entered the room angrily. A white bandage plastered against the bridge of his nose, a hint of purple under his left eye.

"Maker, what happened to you?" Thanisson asked Hux. Hux cleared his throat.

"Work related incident." Hux said, shooting Ben a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Is this transmission coded as well?" Ben asked.

"Yes, Supreme Leader. More so than the first. It is likely it is headed to multiple sources."

"And your course of action?" Ben asked Thanisson. Thanisson blinked, caught off guard at the question.

"I... Uh.... Keep Cloud City on our scanners?" Thanisson answered.

"They're there. I know it." Hux said nasally. Thanisson stifled a laugh at the sound.

"Approved." Ben told Thanisson.

This was better than he hoped. They had no idea of the true location of the Resistance. He turned to leave the bridge.

"General." Ben said to Hux. "A moment?"

Hux slightly hesitated, following him off the bridge and into the hallway. Once the door was shut, Ben turned to face Hux.

"Do not disobey me again." He hissed at him through gritted teeth.

"They are out there, Ren. How many times do I need to tell you they need to be eliminated? Leader Snoke wouldn't have stood for this."

"Snoke. Is. Dead." Ben firmly stated.

"I should have succeeded Snoke's position, not you." Hux hissed. Ben stared him down angrily, fists clenching.

"Then I suppose I will have to kill you as well." he said.


	13. Invisible Touch

*briefly inspired by 'Invisible Touch' by Genesis*

Hux's eyes narrowed.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

"You heard me." Ben spat.

"You told me the girl killed Snoke."

"And you believed that?" Ben nearly laughed.

"How could you betray the Supreme Leader?"

"He thought me weak. I proved him wrong."

"And then you just let the girl escape?"

"No." Ben said. Hux snorted and then flinched in pain.

"The big, bad Kylo Ren. Bested by a girl."

"It's not that simple." Ben snapped. "You don't know the ways of the Force."

"I know enough. Snoke was right. You are weak."

Ben grabbed Hux by the collar and shoved him against the wall, a choke of blood spitting from his mouth at the impact.

"I am the Supreme Leader. Not you. Not ever. You follow my orders, or the next time, I'll snap your neck. Are we clear, General?" Ben hissed, pressing his forearm against Hux's throat as he held him against the wall.

"Crystal." Hux spat. Ben let go and let Hux clumsily slide down the wall. It had been dented in the shape of his body.

"Good." Ben said. He turned and left for his suite.

XXX

It was the end of the day. Leia had provided Bloom with contacts and coordinates of old Rebel bases where some ships could be recovered. Leia guilted Poe into going with her along with two other Resistance members to haul them back to Naboo. Finn, Rose, and Rey had stayed to see him off.

"You're still my best pilot." Leia told Poe.

"Yes, General." He said. She gave him a hug. Poe grabbed Finns hand and pulled him into a chest bump.

"Take care, buddy." Poe said.

"Bring us back some ships!" Rose said, squeezing Poe around the middle.

"I'll pick you out a nice one." Poe told her, ruffling her bangs. Rose beamed.

"You stay safe, Rey." Poe told her, giving her a dashing smile. Rey blushed.

"Have a good trip." Rey said. He winked and slung his jacket over his shoulder.

"Come on BB-8!" He called and BB-8 happily zoomed towards the yacht.

"I can see why he likes you." Said a voice behind Rey. She jumped. It was Bloom.

"Excuse me?" Rey asked.

"Poe." Bloom said, nodding to his retreating back as he hauled BB-8 up the ships steps.

"Oh." Rey said, feeling embarrassed.

"It's all right. I'm not jealous." Bloom said. "I know there's someone else." Rey stared at her in confusion.

"I can see it in your face." she said. "You think of them often."

Rey blushed again. Bloom giggled.

"Don't worry. He's a big flirt. He'll get over it." Bloom gave Rey a hug, departing for the ship.

After the yacht had taken off, Rey headed back to the swamp. She could sense being watched as she approached the Falcon.

"I know you're there Luke." Rey said, moving to sit down on a log at the campfire.

Luke appeared before her.

"Rey." He said, a nod to his head.

"Come to yell at me again?" She asked.

"Apologize he has come to." Said Yoda, emerging next to Luke. Rey nearly fell of the log. Yoda laughed.

"I can handle myself, Master." Luke told Yoda.

"Believe it when I see it, will I." Yoda said. Luke sighed.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you yesterday." Luke apologized begrudgingly. "I am here to guide you on your journey, not cause conflict."

"These are your first steps, Rey." Obi-Wan said as he came into sight, giving her a small smile.

"Maker, how many of you are there?" Rey said, her mind swimming with questions.

"Four." Anakin said, the last of the ghosts to appear. Rey stared at Anakin in wonder. He had Ben's hair. Anakin gave her a sly smile, one she was quite familiar with already. Rey could feel her cheeks warm.

"We offer our guidance as the last of the Jedi." Obi-Wan said.

"I've heard you before." Rey told him. Obi-Wan looked pleased.

"Yes, Rey. It is the Force, calling us to you." He said.

"What for?"

"You need to complete your training." Luke said.

"But I've read the books." Rey said. "I don't think I'm cut out to be a Jedi."

"See? Read the books she did." Yoda said pointedly to Luke.

"They're not exactly page turners." Rey said.

"Like her I do." Yoda whispered to Luke. Rey blushed.

"We aren't asking you to become a Jedi." Anakin said.

"You need to learn the Force in order to truly understand what it is asking of you." Obi-Wan finished.

Rey thought about it for a little bit.

"Okay. So what do I need to do?"

"First off.... You need a teacher." Luke said.

"Oh." Rey said. She let his words sink in. "OH." She repeated. "Is this really what the Force wants me to do?"

"The forces of destiny it is." Yoda told her.

"Why can't you be my teachers?" Rey asked.

"You will understand in time." Obi-Wan said. She sighed.

"All right." She said, standing up. "Um.... Thanks for the talk?" She said, unsure of how to bade the ghosts goodbye. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda nodded to her, Luke just stood there silent. Rey went up the ramp to the Falcon, shutting it behind her.

"I like her too." Anakin said to the others.

"Of course you would." Luke said to his father.

"She is his only hope of great-grandchildren." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"I'm not listening to you." Luke said, placing hands over his ears before they all faded out.

XXX

Rey greeted Chewie as she entered the cockpit of the Falcon. The Porgs chirped at her, following her as she went to the kitchenette. She gave them some berries leftover from the basket Rose had brought. They gobbled them up, some fighting over the fruit.

She went to her room, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of her bed and took a breath. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn't sure if she could. If Ben could do it, so could she.

She closed her eyes, seeking out the Force within.

'Ben.' She thought.

The Force tugged at her chest and a wave of cold rushed over her, causing her to shudder. While it did not call out to her, Rey sensed its location and allowed herself to follow it. Her heart beat fast, she beckoned the sense of the dark towards her. It obliged, allowing her to approach it. As Rey's mind closed upon the feeling, she opened her eyes when she felt the breath get knocked out of her.

She was in Ben's room. It had worked. She had intentionally made a connection with him.

The room was quiet and dimly lit. The curtains were pulled on the windows.

"Ben?" She called out.

Ben had been running his hand under cold water in the bathroom, easing the soreness from hitting Hux earlier.

"Ben?"

He raised his head, and turned off the sink. He thought he had heard his name being called.

"Ben?"

So he wasn't hearing things. He grabbed a towel and hit the button for the bathroom door. He stepped out, seeing Rey at his desk again.

"I thought I said don't touch that." He said as he spied her delicately touching the golden feather in his inkwell.

"It's just so pretty." She said, turning to look at him.

He was rubbing at his hand with a towel. She noticed it looked red. She looked up at him and she could sense the darkness. He had a bad day.

"Are you okay?" She asked, coming over.

"I'm fine." He said, throwing the towel on the bar counter.

"You're lying." Rey said.

"Stay out of my head." He replied.

"I'm not in your head. I can just tell." She said annoyed.

"Fine." He said, reaching for the colored bottles of liquor again. She came closer to him, his aura of agitation almost burning her.

"Let me see it." She said, reaching for his hand.

"I said I'm fine." He said, snatching his hand away.

"Ben, let me see your hand!" She said again, reaching across the counter top. He pulled away again and suddenly Rey felt frozen.

"Ben." She said through gritted teeth. "Let go of me and let me see your damn hand." Ben acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"Ben. Solo." Rey said angrily. When he didn't let her go, she concentrated on the pull he had on her and broke it. She slapped his wrist, the lid to one of the bottles clattering to the floor as he dropped it. She pulled his hand towards her.

"How'd you do that." He said, still trying to pull his hand away.

"You've been fighting." She said as she looked at the bruised knuckles. She let him pull his hand away. He ignored her again.

"Ben.... Talk to me." She said.

"It's nothing." He said, finishing up his drink and taking a sip.

"Ben. Please control your temper." Rey said.

"Did you need something?" He asked annoyed as he walked past her to sit in his armchair.

"Yes." She said, turning to follow him.

"I need a teacher." She announced.

He sat down and sipped at his drink some more.

"Well?" She asked.

"I know." He said.

"You know what?"

"That you need a teacher. I've been trying to tell you that for weeks."

"Ben, I need you to be my teacher." Rey said, coming closer to him as he continued to slouch angrily in his chair.

"Really, Rey? Now you want my help?"

"Yes Ben."

"Interesting." He said, swirling around the ice in his drink.

"Please Ben." she pleaded as she stood in front of him.

He finished his drink and set it on the glass table next to him.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" He asked.

"It's the Force." She said.

"The Force?" He asked, raising a brow.

"It's what it wants. I... had a vision.... Of sorts." She said.

"I had a vision too, Rey." He said. "Where we were fighting side by side. Again. It has yet to come. But it will. You will join me, like I told you."

"If that's what you saw, why won't you agree to train me?" She asked, confused.

"You've rejected my offers twice now. Forgive me if I'm not too keen to accept your reversal of opinion."

Rey was slightly annoyed, but she had an idea.

"Ben." She said quietly, reaching to touch his hand as it rested on the armrest of the chair. He gave her a quizzical look.

"If you know..." She slowly trailed her fingers up his arm as she inched herself closer to him.

"That I'm going to join you...." Her knees brushed his knees.

"Then why...." She placed her other hand on top of his leg.

"Don't you...." She was in his lap at this point.

"Agree?" She purred into his ear. She let a warm breath tickle the side of his neck. He shuddered.

"Dammit woman." He said, grabbing her by her waist. He lifted her up and with one swift movement she was pinned on his bed. His strong arms holding her down as he stood above her at the edge of the bed. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"You need a teacher?" He asked her breathlessly.

"Yes please." She squeaked. His eyes looked her body up and down as her chest quickly rose and fell from the adrenaline.

"No special treatment." He barked.

"Yes teacher." She said.

"Shut up." He said as he lowered his mouth to hers.


	14. Shut Up and Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I've got the tags up for language and sexual situations, I won't be giving warnings for that anymore. It shouldn't be a surprise by now ;)

*briefly inspired by 'Shut Up and Dance' by Walk The Moon*

Her fists clenched and she wriggled her wrists, trying to free them from his grasp. She wanted to touch him, but he wasn't letting her. Fair enough, she did play dirty after all.

His mouth was hungry on hers, more so compared to the first time. She kissed back fiercely, her neck straining upwards to meet him. He let go of her wrists and she immediately wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer.

She scooted back on the bed, allowing him room so he could get on the bed. He climbed on top, straddling her with his knees. She grabbed his face and kissed him deep, allowing her tongue to tease for access, which he surprisingly obliged.

His hands ran down her sides, his thumbs grazing the edges of her breasts. He stopped them at her waist, grabbing at the flowing fabric with intensity. He moved away from her mouth, trailing kiss after kiss down the side of her neck and onto her collar bone.

"Ben." She gasped, clawing a hand at his back. Ben suddenly felt himself fall forward and his nose smashed into the mattress. The connection had broke. He rolled onto his back, sweaty and breathing heavily.

"FUCK!" Ben screamed at the ceiling.

XXX

The weight of Ben on top of her was gone. She was lying on her bed on the Falcon staring up at the ceiling. Her forehead damp with sweat, her chest and face flushed red.

"Dammit." She whispered, stretching an arm up to her head and letting a wrist rest on her forehead as her breathing slowed.

'Well,' she thought 'at least he agreed'

But when they would train, she had no idea.

She woke up early in the morning, hoping to see if Ben had joined her in the night, but the bed was empty. She got up and took a shower, her fingers slowly tracing where Ben had kissed her on the neck as the water dripped down. She toweled off and went to get dressed when a piece of yellowed parchment resting on her bed caught her eye. She hurried over and snatched it up.

'7:00'

Rey smiled, allowing herself to think about how cute it was that his handwriting was fancy, even though it was just numbers.

Chewie was still sleeping in the nook as she left her room. She snuck past, careful not to wake him or the nest of Porgs that slept on top of him.

She hurried down the hangers. Connix and Leia were standing around the computer console.

"Good morning." Rey said as she approached them. Connix gave her smile and a nod. Leia reached out for a hug. Rey stepped into her arms and Leia gave her a small squeeze.

"A good morning indeed." She said. "Lando has come through on his word to speak to the other allies."

"We have incoming ships from four different planets." Connix said, typing away at the console.

"That's great! Any word from Poe and Bloom?"

"They're on their way back from Shili right now." Leia said.

"Rey!" Rose said, coming into the hanger with Finn. She ran up and gave Rey a big hug.

"Rey, come and see what Queen Annaly sent over." Rose said, dragging her away. In the kitchens, several of the Queen's guards had hauled down various baskets of meats and vegetables.

"Since our numbers are growing, she sent over all this food! Isn't that amazing?"

"It sure is." Rey said, smiling at her friend.

There was a rumbling as Bloom's ship was landing outside. Rey and Rose went to go greet them. The steps extended and Poe stepped down grinning, BB-8 right behind him.

"What? What did you get?" Finn asked. Bloom exited right behind Poe, carrying a heavy wooden box.

"Blasters!!!" Finn said.

"A whole arsenal of them." Poe said.

"Where'd you find them?" Rose asked.

"It was Maz. She met us out on Shili and loaded us up."

"I knew I liked that weird old lady." Finn said, admiring one of the blasters.

"We've got four incoming ships with troops." Rose told him.

"Excellent." Poe said. "I've got one more surprise."

"What is it?" Finn asked. Poe reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini holo projector and turning it on. A picture of a large freighter spun as Poe held the projector in his hands.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rey asked.

It was the Eravana, the freighter Han and Chewie had abandoned to the Guavian Death Gang, Kanjiklub, and the Rathtars.

"Where'd you find it?" Finn asked.

"BB-8 remembered its coordinates." BB-8 beeped cheerfully next to Poe, feeling proud. "We found it floating abandoned."

"Except for the bodies." Bloom said, walking past with another box of blasters. Rose covered her mouth in horror.

"Regardless, we hauled it back here. It's waiting up there." Poe said, pointing to the sky above Naboo.

"We can host operations down here and up there, granted its cleaned up first."

He clapped one hand onto Finns shoulder and the other on Reys.

"Welcome to the New Resistance." He said, smiling.

XXX

Following dinner, Rey raced back to the Falcon. It was almost 6:30 and she didn't want to be late for training with Ben. Leia had sent C3-PO to get Chewies assistance with cleaning the Eravana earlier in the day and Rey felt lucky to have the Falcon to herself for a couple of days, save for the few wandering Porgs.

She grabbed her bag and staff, hurrying out to the field where she practiced with her new lightsaber. She sat down on the ground, and closed her eyes in meditation. She searched for the faint light that was Ben. The one that throbbed with the aura of the Dark side. It was quite easy to find. He was anticipating the connection.

The sounds of Naboo soon drowned away and were taken over by loud mechanical hissing and rumblings. Rey opened her eyes. She was in a large room with metal walls. Ben was standing with his back to her, hands clasped behind his back. He had shed his jacket, revealing a sleeveless black top.

"Rey." He said, sensing her presence.

"Ben." She said, approaching him.

Without warning, he whipped around and kicked at her left leg, dragging it out from under her, causing her to fall backwards and onto the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL BEN?" Rey said.

"Lesson one. Always be prepared." Ben said. Rey glared at him.

"That hurt." She said as she stood up.

"Your left side is weak. We need to fix that."

"How can you tell?" Rey asked, keeping her distance from him this time.

"It's the way you stand." He said. Rey looked down.

"What's wrong with the way I stand?"

"Your left shoulder slouches too much. Probably from always carrying that bag with you." Rey looked at her left shoulder. Ben kicked at her leg again.

"HEY!" Rey said, jumping back.

"Lesson two. Always pay attention."

"This isn't fair Ben. I thought you were going to train me." Rey said.

"Who is the teacher?" Ben asked. Rey sighed.

"You are." She answered.

"Show me your stance." He ordered.

"My what?"

"Your stance." Ben repeated.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You're about to fight me. What pose do you strike?"

Rey thought about it. She spread her elbows out, turned her hips to the right, feet pointed out, miming her hands as if they held a saber.

"Wrong." Ben said. Rey frowned.

"Center your waist." he ordered. "Chin up. Elbows down and in."

Rey followed his orders as he circled her, observing.

"Ass out."

"What?"

"You heard me." Ben barked. Rey arched her back.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked him.

"No, I'm just messing with you." He said with a smirk. Rey made a face at him and straightened her back.

"Knees apart" Ben said. "How does that feel?" he asked.

"Weird." Rey replied.

"Get used to it." Ben said. He grabbed her staff and handed it to her.

"We're not going to use sabers?" She asked.

"This is training. I'm not going to lose a hand. Sabers will come later."

He said grabbed a slim staff from the corner of the room and brandished it towards her.

"Now fight me." He said.

In the moment of hesitation she had before attempting to strike at him, he struck her first, whacking her in her left side.

"Fuck, Ben!" She said, flinching.

"LESSON ONE." He yelled at her. "AGAIN."

He stepped back and brandished the staff at her once more. He lunged. Rey stepped back and avoided his blow, only for him to come back around and try to hit at her legs.

"LESSON TWO." He shouted.

Rey was getting angry. She whipped her staff at him and he dodged it, jabbing her shoulder as she raised her staff to strike again.

He stared her down, holding his staff at his side. He could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Lesson three. Anticipate your opponent."

She stepped back, face tight in concentration. If she went for his shoulder, he would go for her waist. If she went for his waist, he would go for her arm.

Ben's arm twitched and Rey spun around, catching him off guard as she whipped her staff to protect his blow.

"Better." Ben said. He turned around and started to walk away from her before snapping back and lunging at her with the staff. She raised hers against it, blocking the blow and pushing it back towards him.

"Good." He said. He lowered the staff. Rey did not lower hers.

"Very good." He said, slightly impressed.

"You're holding back." She said.

"Of course I am." He said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to kill you."

Rey frowned.

"I need you." He said. She looked up at him.

"My vision of us fighting alongside in battle again. You will join me. I can't lose you."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Really? Is that all you care about? Me joining your new order?" She said, throwing her staff down in anger.

"Rey..."

"I thought I meant something more to you!" She shouted.

"You do!" He shouted back.

"It doesn't seem like it!" She yelled.

Ben got really red in the face.

"I AM THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE GALAXY AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING MY ASS OFF TO MAKE SURE THE FIRST ORDER DOESN'T FUCKING FIND YOU. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE NOT CARING?!?!?" he screamed.

Rey blinked, still processing his outburst.

"No." she said quietly.

"Dammit, you make me so mad sometimes." He told her, pacing angrily. She reached out for his hand, grabbing it.

"What." he snapped. She pulled herself closer to him.

"Thank you." She said, wrapping her arms around him in a gentle hug. Ben sighed.

"Fuck it." He said.

He grabbed her by her waist, lifted her up, and pushed her up against the wall, crashing his mouth onto hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs around his waist. He tore at her linen with his hands, grabbing onto her thighs, holding her up.

He started kissing her neck again like he had last night. Her breathing quickened and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders. He balanced her against the wall, reaching a hand up to her chest, reaching, aching to touch.

Rey's weight suddenly disappeared. His anticipating hand hit the wall of the training quarters.

"FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!" Ben raged, punching his hand into the wall.


	15. Vision

Still sitting in her meditation spot, Rey fell backwards, snapping back as the connection broke. The motion hurt her head. The world felt like it was spinning.

She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing until she felt the motion ease away. She went to stand up, her side painful from where Ben had hit her. She sighed in frustration. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. While Luke hadn't taught her much, he at least wasn't, well.... Kylo Ren.

She grabbed her staff and bag off the ground and trudged up the hill to the Falcon for the night.

XXX

Ben angrily went to bed. Not only did the Force connection keep breaking while they were being physical, he had spilled to her how he had been intentionally keeping the troops off her scent.

Sure, training exercises were essential in preparing to take down the Resistance, but he needed time. Time to figure out how to get Rey on his side, to fight with him, without Hux trying to kill her in the process. It was proving to be difficult. His feelings for her overpowered his initial task at hand. She was turning him to the light more and more each day and he was unable to control it. The dark still flowed through him. He could certainly still feel it, though it was quieter than the loud rage it had been before.

He dreamt of his vision. It was still a bit blurry and vague. He couldn't tell where they were. Their sabers were both ignited. Ben lunged and Rey dove, whipping her saber at a shadowy mass of black. Blasters echoed around them as the Resistance continued to shoot.

Then he saw it clear as day- Rey was hit. She screamed out in pain and sunk to the ground.

"REY!!!!!" He shouted. He gripped his saber tightly and hacked at the shadows. He glanced back and she was losing consciousness. A shot went past, narrowly missing him. He looked back again, her linen turning red with blood.

"REY!!!!"

He woke up drenched in sweat. In a panic, he felt his bed in the dark. It was empty. He wished she was there. He needed to make sure she was okay. He calmed his breathing and sought out her light within the Force. It was still there. She was fine. It was only a dream.

He was unable to sleep after that. He took a shower. Got dressed. Paced a bit. Ordered coffee. Wrote another note for Rey. He eventually headed down to the training quarters.

Hux was there to greet him with Herrera. The bandage on his nose was smaller and the puff around his eye had gone down.

"Supreme Leader." He said to him with a curt nod and a death stare.

"Get the medical droids again." Ben said, taking off his gloves and throwing them at Hux. "I'm having a bad day. Don't make me it take it out on you instead of them."

"It's 8 in the morning." Hux sneered.

"I've been up since 5." Ben said, igniting his saber. Hux snapped his fingers at the commander troopers.

"As you command, Supreme Leader." Herrera said.

XXX

Ben winced as he walked stiffly back to his suite following the training.

"Dismissed." He angrily told the trooper standing guard at this room. He entered and headed straight for the bathroom.

He flinched as he took off his jacket and shirt, tossing them to the side. He examined the spot of burned flesh on his side, wet with blood.

He fumbled in a drawer for a clear bottle of liquid. Grabbing a towel from the counter, he emptied the contents of the bottle onto it and held the towel to his side. He grit his teeth as it soaked into his wound.

The door hissed open and shut quickly. It was Hux, carrying Millicent like a prized possession.

"Well, today didn't go as well as you planned, now did it?" Hux smirked as he observed Ben tending to his injury.

"What do you want." He asked. Hux let Millicent down to the floor.

"You and I both know QN-2610 can't even aim at the urinal, let alone successfully hit a target with a blaster."

"He got in my way." Ben said.

"You were distracted." Hux accused.

"I didn't sleep well."

"You say that all the time." Hux said, peering over at Ben's bed where Millicent was sniffing around. "Do you need a new mattress?"

"Get that fleabag off my bed." Ben ordered. Hux gasped.

"She doesn't have fleas." He defended. He went and whisked Millicent off the bed. She let out a growl.

"Does your lack of sleep have anything to do with what you came to see me about the other day?" He pried.

"Do I need to kick your ass again?" Ben snarkily asked. Hux glared at him.

"Keep the task at hand your focus. It's almost been a month since we lost track of the Resistance. They need to be found."

"Any word on Cloud City?" Ben asked.

"The bridge is keeping tabs on the City as we speak."

"Extend the search to Tattooine." Ben said, finishing wrapping his wound.

"Splendid idea, Supreme Leader."

"Is that all?" Ben asked.

"For now." Hux said. He strode off towards the door. Millicent was hanging off his shoulder, giving Ben a stank face.

"There, there, Millie. Daddy knows you don't have fleas..." He cooed to her as he left. Ben watched grumpily as the door shut after them. He looked at the clock. It was getting late. He sent for his dinner before training was to start.

XXX

Down in the training quarters, Ben stiffly paced as he waited for Rey to connect. When she did, she scrambled to stand up from her meditation position. She was holding her staff, bracing herself to be attacked.

"No staffs today." Ben told her. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Is this a trick?" She asked cautiously.

"No."

"Is this because....." She trailed off. Ben prodded her thoughts. She was thinking of the times the connection broke when they were kissing.

"No, though I'm not too happy about it either." He told her. She blushed. She lowered her staff.

"So what am I learning today?"

"The Force."

"But I already know the Force." She said, frowning.

"There is more to it than you know." He told her. He stepped closer to her.

"You said the Force told you that you need to train with me."

"Yes."

"What else does it tell you?"

Rey thought about it, closing her eyes.

"It tells me...... It tells me where to find the best scavenger parts... It tells me which way to turn when I'm lost... It tells me....."

"Go on." He told her. He watched her as her eyes clenched in concentration.

"It tells me..... I have a destiny I need to fulfill."

"Which is?"

Rey opened her eyes.

"I don't know..... I can't get past it." She said, shaking her head. He frowned.

"What about that thing you did the other day?" He asked.

"Could you be more specific?"

"Excuse me?"

"I did a lot the other day. Do you mean when we were-"

"Get your mind out of the gutter." He interrupted her. "What you did when you broke the Force hold I had on you."

"Oh that?" She asked, like it was no big deal.

"Try it again." He said. He held up a hand. She could feel her ankles tighten.

"Try to come to me." He said, taking a step back.

Rey concentrated on the hold he had. It was weak.

"You're holding back again." She told him. He looked impressed. The hold on her ankles tightened and she could feel them almost beginning to redden and bruise.

She concentrated on the hold, sensing the Force and how it wrapped around her ankles, pulsing as it held her legs in place. She sensed the flow of it, and when she sensed it vulnerable, she snapped the connection. She took a large step forward.

"How did you do that?" He asked her.

"I sensed it until I felt a weak point. At which point, I severed the hold."

Ben thought for a moment.

"Think about the Force again. Think about your destiny." He told her. She closed her eyes again.

"Now what." Rey asked.

"Do the same thing that you did just now. Except in your mind. When you can't get past the message, find the weak point."

Rey let out a long breath. She repeated the process of seeking out the Force. She ran through all the different paths the Force wanted her to focus on until she felt a heaviness within her.

"Focus." Ben whispered.

'What are you trying to tell me?' She asked it. The feeling almost danced away from her. She followed its sense, her fingers twitching as she closed in on it.

"I've got it." She told Ben, eyes still closed. Rey sought out its weak point.

"Now break it." He told her.

She pulled with her mind and with her heart.

A vision flooded her eyes. Rey and Ben were caught back to back, surrounded by a mass of shadows. Ben was angry. Rey felt threatened. She looked over at him. He looked back. He nodded as if to assure her she was ready for it. Ready to complete her destiny. Ready to fight with him. She could sense her friends amongst the shadows. They were going into battle with the Resistance.

She stumbled back as she opened her eyes, Ben catching her arm to hold her upright.

"What did you see?" He asked. She looked up at him. She was confused. And most of all, sad.

"I.... I saw what you've seen." She whispered. "What you've been telling me all along."

She felt like she was going to be sick.

"I saw us fighting with the Resistance." She said. "I joined you." she said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Ben stepped forward and wiping the tear from her face.

"Please don't cry." He told her, pulling her close to him. He lowered his head and let his forehead rest against her head. She trembled as tears still continued to fall.

"Oh, Ben." She said, wrapping her arms around him for comfort. He flinched and let out a hiss of pain.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked, quickly stepping back.

"It's nothing." He said. She sniffled back her tears.

"You're hurt." She said. Ben grumbled.

"I thought I told you not to fight." She scolded. "Let me see it."

"I wasn't fighting." He said through gritted teeth as he lifted his shirt for her to see his wrapped wound. "This was from training."

"Lesson two." She said. Ben smirked.

"Lesson two." He repeated. She gingerly touched the gauze. He flinched again.

"That hurt." He grunted.

"You need to get this dressed properly." She told him, wiping at her face. "Where's your room?"

"What?" Ben asked, pulling his shirt back down. "I can't just take you there. Someone is going to see you."

"Are you sure about that? I'm not really here, remember?"

"Then how can we--"

"Like you said, there is more to the Force than we know. Just go with it. That's what I've been doing this entire time."

Ben narrowed his eyes at her.

"I thought I was the teacher here."

"How about if anyone does see me, you just kill them." Rey said, shrugging. "You'd like that, right?"

"I think you're hanging around me too much." He told her.

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked. Bens lip twitched with a small smile.

"No. No it's not."


	16. Here (In Your Arms)

*briefly inspired by 'Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye*

Ben checked the hallway for troopers. When none were in sight, he nodded his head for Rey to follow him. He walked to one of the elevators, Rey close behind him. Inside, she hid behind his tall figure in the corner. When they had reached the middle floor, the doors opened and two troopers stepped in. Rey could feel Ben tense up.

"Supreme Leader." One the troopers said, giving a nod. Ben just ignored him. Rey peeked out behind Bens shoulder. The troopers didn't notice her at all. She stifled a giggle.

"Did you say something, Supreme Leader?" One of the troopers asked Ben.

"How dare you speak to me." Ben barked.

"My apologies, Supreme Leader." The trooper said, inching away from Ben.

They had reached Bens floor. She felt him push her in front of him and out of the elevator with the Force.

Once the doors shut, he gave her a smack on her bottom.

"What was that for?" She hissed.

"For laughing in the elevator."

"I couldn't help it." She said, rubbing at her behind.

"Move." He said, giving her a light push.

They approached the end of a long hallway. A trooper stood guard at a pair of double doors.

"Dismissed." Ben ordered. The trooper nodded and turned to leave. Rey held her breath as to not laugh this time.

Ben let out a quick breath once in his room.

"Sit." Rey said, pointing to the bed. He obliged. She went to the bathroom and he could hear her rummaging around.

"Do you have any- oh wait here it is - NEVERMIND." she called out to him. Another smiled tugged at the corners of his lips.

She emerged with an armful of supplies.

"Shirt off." She ordered. He gave her a smirk and removed his top. She went red in the face.

"Um.... Okay, now you need to lie down." She told him, not looking him in the face, glancing back and forth between his bare chest and the supplies in her arms.

He intentionally laid back with his arms above his head, allowing his muscles to show off.

She dumped the pile of supplies on the bed and knelt down next to him.

"This is going to hurt." She said as she unwrapped the gauze around his wound. She grabbed some white fluff and dabbed some yellow liquid from a tube onto it. She then pressed the fluff to his wound. He winced as he felt the sting of the medication take affect.

"Ben?" Rey asked quietly as she held the fluff in place.

"Mm." He answered.

"Does this mean I have to move to the cruiser?" she asked. He turned his head to look at her, her face concentrated but forlorn.

"What do you mean?"

"When I join you.... Against the Resistance." She whispered sadly. She removed the fluff and reached for a roll of thick linen. He thought about it for a few minutes as she soaked the linen in the remainder of the liquid he had used before. He could tell she was upset about his vision proving itself to be true to her.

"No." He said, turning his head to stare at the ceiling again.

"No?" She asked, confused.

"No." He repeated.

It was quiet except for the ripping of linen as she prepped to wrap the wound.

"After your training perhaps." He said to break the silence. She nodded and he felt a tear drop onto his side from her face. She hastily wiped it away.

"I said don't cry." He told her. She sniffled.

"But they're my friends, Ben." She said, wiping at her face with her wrist. She tugged at the linen around his waist and pinned it into place.

"I'm your friend too." He whispered. She bit her lip, trying to quiet her cries. Ben kind of rolled his eyes and gave a slight beckoning motion with his right hand.

"Come here." He said.

She flung her hands around his neck, he gave an 'oomph' at the sudden force of her weight. She clung to his side, the tears still silently creeping down. He ran a hand through her hair, which helped calm her down and slow her crying.

Eventually, they fell asleep, wrapped up in each others arms.

XXX

A snort of warm breath whistled through Rey's ear and she shot up.

The Shaak that had been sniffing at her as she lay outside in the grass gave another hearty sniff at her before galloping back off towards the rest of the herd as they grazed nearby on the hillside.

She had fallen asleep outside where she had began her meditation the night before. Her staff and bag still at her side. She rubbed at her eyes, they were puffy from crying. She wondered what time it was. Had Chewie not been on the Eravana, he probably would had come looking for her long before now. She slowly trekked up the hill back to the Falcon, her mind swimming with dread.

When she reached the swamp, she sensed a light from the campfire. She turned around to see that Luke was there. She immediately burst into tears and fell to her knees.

"Luke.... I saw it....." She sobbed to him.

"Saw what, Rey?" He asked quietly. She hiccupped as she tried to find her voice.

"I join Ben." She whispered. Luke frowned.

"Are you sure this wasn't a trick?" He asked. She fiercely shook her head.

"No, it's true. Luke, what am I going to do? They're my friends." she cried.

"Trust in the Force, Rey." he said, repeating the words Leia had told her after they had escaped Crait.

"How can I trust in the Force when it wants me to turn against them? Is this who I am meant to be?"

"I cannot answer that." He told her.

Rey continued to cry into her hands. She felt a soothing aura as the ghost of Luke attempted to lay a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"I believe in you." He told her gently. "You can fight this. You can change your destiny."

Rey stood up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"But I -." She started. She looked down, frustrated, embarrassed, and unable to finish her sentence.

"I know." Luke said, sensing the words she couldn't say. "And I forgive you."

Rey kind of laughed, as the tears still dripped from her eyes.

"I'd give you a hug.... But...."

"It's all right." Luke said. "Go and take a rest." He told her, nodding towards the Falcon. Rey wiped at her face again, and nodded to him.

She went up the ramp to the Falcon and to her room, laying down on the cold bed and falling asleep.

XXX

Ben woke up to his alarm. He actually had a decent nights sleep. He stretched, a pinch of pain pulling at the site of his wound. He gently touched the bandages wrapped around his waist. He looked to his side, hoping to see Rey, but she was gone.

He got up and got ready for the day. He headed down to training after he had his breakfast.

Hux was eagerly awaiting Ben at the doors to the training facility.

"Supreme Leader." Hux said. "I've got some good news for you."

"News?" Ben repeated.

"Yes. Your orders to extend the search to Tattooine have provided some very beneficial intel."

'Fuck!' Ben thought. He had only thrown that out there as a way to waste time.

"Go on." He instructed Hux.

"Well, it was overheard that the Resistance is seeking out ships and to rebuild their numbers."

"Overheard where."

"At some place called Mos Eisley."

Ben frowned, he had forgotten about that place and the rumors it always seemed to harbor.

"Of course they're going to need ships and to increase their soldiers. We destroyed most of them." Ben said, brushing this news off as nothing important.

"But don't you see, Ren? They're out there. And this just means we are so much closer to finding them!"

"Do you know where they are getting the ships from?" Ben asked.

"No." Hux said, grumpily. "But we can track any freighters passing through. They'll be caught soon enough."

"Send a troop to Tattooine following today's training. Keep them stationed in town." Ben said. Hux looked pleased.

"Of course Supreme Leader." Hux said, following Ben into the training facility.

Ben had the troops train against a holo simulator program this time to better observe how their combat training had advanced since reconditioning.

"Their aim is improving." Hux commented. Ben nodded in agreement.

"You seem in a better mood today."

"I actually slept well for once." Ben replied.

"Hmmm." Hux said. He looked back at Ben out of the corner of his eye and he swore he saw him smile.

XXX

Since she had fallen asleep outside, Rey opted to meditate from her bedroom this time. Besides, Chewie wasn't on the Falcon at the moment. Add to the fact she already felt depressed enough over the fact she was expected to betray her friends, she didn't feel like leaving the ship.

She connected to Ben in the training room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, sensing an odd darkness about her.

"I'm fine." She said. She gripped her staff. "Are we going to do this or what?" She asked. Ben hesitated a moment before grabbing for his staff as well.

"All right then." He said.

He taught Rey some fighting combos with the staff. Some were new, some she had already mastered previously. She channeled her frustrations and anger into each swing she made. She had already caught Ben off guard a few times. She blocked one of his lunges and hit back with a jab of her own. She made contact with him in his blaster wound, causing him to grunt angrily.

"Sorry." She muttered, stepping back.

"Don't apologize." Ben said, rubbing at his side. "That was a good hit."

Rey slightly smiled at the compliment.

"I think we can work on some saber techniques next week." Ben said, tossing his staff to the side and walking away from her, continuing to rub his side.

"Next week?" She asked.

"Yes. Your training still isn't finished." He told her.

"How long until I'm ready?"

"When I say you are." He told her firmly. She frowned. She was dreading what was to happen with the Resistance. She didn't like how her training would be continuing for the next few weeks.

"Same time tomorrow?" She asked him as he shrugged on his jacket.

"In a hurry to leave?" He asked her over his shoulder.

"I mean, I thought training was over."

"It is." He said, pulling the belt closed around his waist. He turned to face her. His cheeks were a bit pink.

"I thought you could come back to my room again." He said boldly. Rey blushed. She nodded.

At his room, Ben went to make drinks at the counter. She stood awkwardly in the living space with his armchair.

"Make yourself comfortable." He told her with a nod. She set her bag and staff near the door. She slipped her vest off, laying it on top of her bag. She wandered around to the desk he had. She always felt a draw to it every time she saw it.

"What is this from?" She asked of the golden feather, remembering not to touch it this time.

"It's a Can-Cell tail feather."

"What's that?"

"They're big insects from Kashyyyk."

"Oh, where Chewie is from." She said aloud.

There was a clatter of breaking glass as Ben dropped a glass in the kitchenette.

"I'm sorry." Rey hurriedly apologized. She came over to help clean up the mess.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine." Ben said grumpily. He got another glass out from a cabinet.

"How...." Ben stopped and cleared his throat. He turned around so Rey couldn't see his face, busying himself at the countertop. "How is he?" He asked, careful not to sound choked.

Rey paused for a moment, careful with her reply.

"Loud and hairy." She answered. Ben snorted.

"As usual." He muttered. He turned back and gave Rey a drink.

"Thanks." She said, taking it from his hands.

"You're welcome." He said. Rey felt her face warm. He finished making his own drink and went over to his armchair and sat down. Rey followed, sitting on the edge of his bed nearby. He took a long sip of his drink, the room becoming quiet and awkward.

"Rey?" He finally asked.

"Yes?"

"Would you stay the night again?" He asked quietly.


	17. Fire Escape

*briefly inspired by 'Fire Escape' by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

He heard her take in a nervous breath.

"I don't.... I don't sleep well." He continued, before she could answer.

"I know." She said.

It was quiet again for what felt like an eternity.

"Can.... Can I take a shower first?"

"Anything." Ben said, almost breathlessly.

"And.... And I don't want to wear these." She said. Ben went red in the face.

"I mean nightclothes, Ben. Damn." She said, giggling.

"Fine. I'll see what I can find." he said, shaking his head quickly and looking away.

Rey finished her drink and took it to the kitchenette before heading to the bathroom. Once she was closed off in the bathroom, Ben practically flew out of his armchair.

He quickly paged for the maintenance droid.

"Yes, Supreme Leader. How may I be of service?" Asked the droid as it rolled up to the door of his suite.

"I need a pair of slippers size...... Shit..... Size.... Medium? No, Small.... BOTH. And a set of bedclothes. From the females ward."

"As you command, Supreme Leader."

XXX

Rey found a set of towels under the sink. She set them on the counter next to the sink. The shower was complicated with buttons instead of knobs like her shower on the Falcon. She tested each button to see which one was for, as they weren't labeled. The door to the shower hissed open and closed, the water turned off and on.

Once she was sure she had the right combination figured out, she undressed, letting her clothes fall to the floor. She unwrapped her breasts from the linen she used to keep them supported and slipped out of her underwear. She dropped the undergarments on top of her clothes pile and entered the shower, pressing the button to shut the door after her.

The water was nice and warm. It almost drummed at her back in a massaging manner. She reached up on her toes for an opaque bottle on a shelf built into the wall. She opened the lid and gave it a sniff. It smelled like vanilla and spices. Her memory flashed to the morning she had smelled this same scent on the pillow in her bed. Her body tingled at the thought. The soap was soft as she washed herself. The heat from the water had begun to fog the glass walls of the shower.

"Rey?"

She jumped at the sound.

"Rey, I'm setting clothes on the counter." She heard him say, his voice muffled from the noise of the shower.

"Okay." She replied, speaking loudly over the sound of the drumming water.

She was lucky the glass was fogged.

XXX

He was annoyed the glass was fogged. He still could see her silhouette though, which was better than nothing. He looked on for a moment and he could feel his pants tighten at the thought of her naked in his shower.

He quickly shut the door, taking a quick breath to calm himself.

'Get a hold of yourself'. He told himself. 'She's just here to sleep.'

He went back to the door of his suite and summoned for the trooper who monitored his floor.

"I want that maintenance droid reassigned to the kitchens. Assign a new maintenance droid to my suite." He demanded.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." The trooper said, turning to go fetch the maintenance droid.

Ben sealed the door shut behind him. He dimmed the lights and changed into his own nightclothes. The shower had turned off. He waited on his bed for what seemed like hours before she finally emerged, her brown hair still damp.

"This is what you call bedclothes?" Rey asked from the doorway to the bathroom. She was in a solid black top and pair of pants. They were made out of a thermal material that itched.

"What's wrong with them?" He asked. "They're made to keep you warm."

"They itch." Rey said, tugging at the collar of the shirt.

"That's all I have." Ben said. Rey looked around, spying his jacket and boots on the floor next to his desk chair. She walked over to the chair and removed his undershirt from the pile of laundry. She turned her back to him and removed the thermal bedclothes and slipped his undershirt on. It was over sized on her and hung to the top of her thighs. She kept the slippers on though. Ben had to concentrate really hard on his, well, hard-on, willing it to go away.

She crawled into the bed, and faced away from him, her damp hair sprawling out over the pillow next to him.

It continued to be quiet in the room, with the exception of his deep breaths from behind her.

"It was a gift." Ben said to the dark room.

"Hm?" Rey asked, moving her head slightly.

"The feather..... It was a gift..... From my father." He said. Rey turned over to face him.

"Han?" She whispered his name.

"It was my last birthday, right before I went away to train with Luke." Ben continued, staring up at the ceiling.

"He went to Kashyyyk for some reason. I can't remember what."

"Did you go with him?" She asked.

She could hear him shake his head in the dark, his hair brushing back and forth against his pillow.

"He knew I liked to write. So he got it for my calligraphy set. Said I could write home with it while I was at training."

"And did you?" Rey asked in the darkness. It was quiet again. She could hear a shuddering breath escape his chest as he answered.

"No." He said. "No, I did not."

Rey scooched closer to Ben on the bed. She laid her head on his shoulder and draped a hand over his chest, his breath continuing to shudder slightly. His hand came up in the dark to meet her hand, letting his fingers intertwine with hers.

"Goodnight Ben." She whispered to him.

XXX

"Rey?"

Rey woke up at the sound of her name being called. She was back on the Falcon lying on top of her bed.

"Rey, you in here?" It was Finn. He knocked on her door. "Rey?"

"In a second!" Rey called as she hurried out of Ben's black top and threw on a pair of gray pants and a cream top. She opened the door to her room.

"Rey! Where have you been?" He asked, giving her a quick hug.

"I, um...."

"Is your training going okay?" He asked. She just nodded.

"Look, it's Rose's birthday today. She wants you to come spend time with us."

"Finn... I..." Rey said, looking down at the floor.

"Please, Rey? I know you're busy with the Force and stuff, but she wants you to be there."

Rey sighed, feeling quite guilty.

"Okay.... I'll come." She said. Finn smiled at her.

"Great. We'll see you soon." He turned and left the Falcon. Rey sighed. Ben was not going to be happy about this.

Rey scribbled a note to Ben and left it on her bed, hoping he got a chance to find it. She fed the Porgs, giving each one a pat on the head before heading down to the hangers.

"REY!!!!" Rose yelled, rushing to hug Rey as she entered the hanger.

"Happy Birthday Rose." Rey told her, patting her on the back lightly.

"I'm so glad you could come shopping with me. This is so exciting."

"Shopping?" Rey asked confused.

"Yeah! Finn told me that you said you would go with me instead of him because he's busy. Remember?" Rose explained.

Rey looked over at Finn who was standing back with Poe, snickering. Finn mouthed 'Sorry' at her.

"Yes. I remember." Rey lied, giving Finn a look. He and Poe snickered some more.

"Let's hurry and go so we can be back by lunchtime." Rose said, grabbing Rey's hand and dragging her off towards the markets.

After they had finished at the markets, Rose skipped back to the hanger.

"I can't wait to show Finn my new dress." Rose said to Rey, swinging her shopping bags she skipped. "You're staying for dinner, right?" She asked.

"I suppose." Rey said, fiddling with her own bag that she held in her hands.

"Don't worry about your training Rey." Rose told her. "We have two more ships and crews coming today to help out. We're growing stronger every day. Soon, we won't have to worry about the First Order."

Rey just frowned as she followed Rose inside the hanger. Rose went to show Finn her new dress, him giving a nod of approval. Poe came over to Rey.

"You okay, Rey?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She told him.

"Sorry about earlier. Neither of us wanted to go...." He said, in regards to how they coerced her into going shopping with Rose.

"Next time, I won't let you guys out of it so easily." She told him. Poe laughed.

"How's Chewie doing on the Eravana?" Rey asked.

"It's great. A bulk of the starships are being housed there for the time being. Bloom's up there with him."

"She's still here?" Rey asked.

"Yeah." Poe said, making a face. "Leia's got her directing the incoming support down to us here at ground level."

"I see." Rey said, looking down.

"Come on." Poe said, laying a hand on her shoulder and steering her towards Finn and Rose. "We've got cake."

XXX

Night had fallen and Rey went back to the Falcon. Upon entering her room she saw the note she had left for Ben had disappeared. He had been by. She went about her business, cleaning up the clothes on the floor from this morning. She hoped he wasn't mad that she had skipped training. She could almost hear him in her head, berating her for choosing to spend time at a party instead.

"Of course I'm mad."

Rey jumped.

"Ben!" Rey cried, startled. He was standing in her doorway.

"I do not tolerate unexcused absences." He said sternly.

"I'm sorry." Rey said, folding clothes on her bed. He approached her slowly.

"They're meant to be your enemy, Rey."

"I can't help it." Rey said. "They're my friends."

"Fine." He said, angrily. "String them along all you want. You will still end up fighting them."

Rey hung her head. She held Ben's folded black shirt out to him.

"Keep it." He told her with a casual wave of his hand. "I've got plenty."

Rey kind of smiled and hugged the shirt to her chest.

"Training tomorrow?" She asked quietly.

"No."

"No?"

"It's the weekend." He explained.

"Ah." Rey said. She played with the fold of the shirt in her arms. "Did you have plans?"

"I never have any plans." He said.

"Well.... You're welcome to spend time with me if you want." Rey told him.

"That would be..... Nice." Ben said. Rey smiled.

Rey got ready for bed, undoing her buns and brushing out her hair as Ben laid on the bed, watching her.

They sat on the bed and talked through most of the night. Her, about her scavenging past and all her interesting finds. Him, mostly about the antics of life on the cruiser and how Hux has a teddy bear named Admiral Fluff. That made her laugh loudly, which made him smile at the happiness on her face.

He leaned in to her, catching her off guard, and kissed her. She blinked rapidly as she was surprised. Ben pulled away, looking almost ashamed.

"Don't." She said, reaching out to touch his arm to stop him. She pulled his face back to hers and returned the kiss. She leaned back on the bed, bringing him with her. She deepened the kiss with her tongue, his hand weaving itself into her hair. She broke the kiss with a gasp as she felt the pressure of his manhood against her thigh as he hovered above her.

"Ben." She whispered. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer and back into a kiss, the feeling on her thigh beginning to throb. He reached a hand up to her chest again.

"Careful." She whispered against his mouth. "I don't want you disappearing."

"I'm not going anywhere." He whispered back as his hand traveled up her shirt, gently cupping at one of her breasts. Rey let out a moan. She quickly bit her lip, digging her nails into his shoulders as if that would make sure their connection didn't break.

He cupped at her other breast with his other hand, her breathing becoming heavy. His erection against her was driving him mad.

"Ben..... Ben.... Stop." Rey suddenly said breathlessly.

"What? What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"You're... You're not really here, Ben." she said. Ben sighed, feeling frustrated.

"Not now.... Not like this...." She whispered. Ben clenched a fist in disappointment. He didn't want to accept it, but she had a point. He slowly nodded and moved himself off of her. Rey looked embarrassed and played with the ends of her hair as the vibe of the room became awkward and silent.

"Do you want to go to sleep now?" She asked.

"Sure." He said.

Ben laid down the bed next to her and sighed. Rey wriggled up against him, still feeling his arousal at her backside. Ben grunted. She giggled.

"Just go to sleep." He told her.

"Goodnight Ben." She said, pulling a cover over herself.

"Goodnight Rey."


	18. Never Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer than the others, with good reason. Mascara alert!

*partially inspired by 'Never Enough' from The Greatest Showman sung by Loren Allred*

Ben awoke the next morning back in his own bed on the cruiser. He got up and went to shower. While he was eating breakfast, the trooper on guard knocked on his door.

"Supreme Leader, urgent news from the command deck." the trooper told him. Ben abandoned his meal and headed off to the bridge where Hux and Captain Herrera were waiting.

"What's so important?" Ben barked.

"Supreme Leader, we intercepted the trade of a star ship we believe was meant for the Resistance." Hux announced.

"Supreme Leader, the troops you have stationed on Tattooine were witness to a Rodian attempting to trade a J-type 327 Nubian star ship." Herrera informed him.

"A Rodian? You can't trust those green freaks." Ben spat. "How do you know it was for the Resistance?"

"Only the Resistance would be after a ship that rare." Hux said angrily.

"Who were they trying to trade it to?" Ben questioned.

"We aren't quite sure. They got away. We are trying to track them down." Herrera reported.

"Supreme Leader, this is just the lead we need to find those traitors." Hux told Ben, stepping forward.

"Then move the troop to Rodia and see if they know where one of them could have gotten one of those ships" Ben ordered.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Herrera said. Hux turned to look at Ben.

"We are getting closer each day to finding them. I just know it." He said.

Ben looked out at the galaxy from the bridge of the command deck. Yes, it did seem like they were getting closer to finding the Resistance. Which meant he was running out of time.

He left the deck and went to leave a note for Rey to continue their training the following evening.

XXX

The next day, Rey arrived for training with her saber in hand. She set her bag down on the floor and approached Ben where he stood at the center of the room.

Ben held his hand out to her. She smiled and went to put her hand in his. Ben shook his head.

"Your saber." He said, motioning with his hand. Rey pursed her lips in disappointment and handed her saber to Ben. He examined it, turning it over in his hands as Rey watched on. After a few minutes, he handed it back to her.

"You will follow my techniques. Understood?" He said, grabbing his saber off his belt.

Rey nodded. Ben reached into a black box that had been sitting on the floor and brought out a combat remote and activated it. He ignited his saber He dipped and dived, turning and spinning the saber as he deflected the shots from the drone.

"That looks easy." Rey said.

"Oh really?" Ben said, stepping back. He flipped a switch on the back of the drone. "You try it then."

Rey stepped up and held her saber in the position Ben had taught. The first few blasts she easily deflected, but she was soon stung in the hand by one of them. She shook her hand. She blocked another combo of shots before being stung again, this time on her forearm.

"How is fighting a drone ---" She dodged another two shots. "Supposed to help in real life?"

She deflected a third shot to the drone, sending it spiraling. Rey smiled.

"Don't get cocky." Ben said with a smirk. He went and picked up the drone.

"Shots are going to come at you rapidly in battle. You need to be able to quickly deflect them. Or else...." he trailed off.

"Or I'll get hit?" Rey finished for him. Ben ran a hand through his hair, a glimpse of frustration on his face as he quickly recalled the dream of her being injured.

"We'll just make sure that doesn't happen." He told her. "Want to try some real combat?"

Rey nodded and got into position.

"I don't need another scar this time." He reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind." She said.

They battled around the room, the hum of their sabers loud as they clashed and sparked. Ben lunged at Rey and she jumped back, his saber coming close to burning her.

They were in perfect sync as they continued their training. Every move he made she met with a counter strike. It was powerful and Rey felt stronger than ever. She dove towards Ben and he blocked her attack, their sabers inches from their faces as they stared at each other through the bright lights. Ben's eyes were filled with intensity. She stared back, trying to read his emotions. He drew back his saber and turned it off.

"Well done." He told her. Rey turned her saber off as well. He walked up to her and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I'm proud of you." He whispered to her. Rey gave him a small smile. She hugged him lightly around the waist as they stood there in the training room.

"Will you stay the night again?" He asked, running a hand through her hair. She nodded.

Back at Ben's room, they laid in each others arms. Ben was running a hand through Rey's hair as she lay her head on his chest.

"Your friends are slipping up." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Someone was trying to trade a Naboo Royal Starship to one of your fleet."

"How do you know it was for the Resistance?"

Ben snorted.

"It's a Naboo ship. They're on Naboo. Makes sense they'd want to have one."

"So what does this mean?" Rey asked.

"It means your time with your friends is coming to an end."

Rey clung tighter to Ben as he spoke the words. He continued to stroke her hair until she fell asleep, arms tight around his waist.

Early in the morning, Ben's alarm went off. He got out of bed and started to get ready for the day.

"Has anyone told you, you get up absurdly early?" Rey moaned sleepily to him.

"No. Then again, I never used to have an audience." He said to her.

"Come back to bed." She said, turning over in the bed, letting her hair fall across his pillow.

"I'm a very busy man." He said as he perused his closet.

"Is everything you have black?" She continued to pester.

"Would you rather I wear brown?" He shot back.

"I don't always wear brown." Rey defended. "Why does everybody say that?"

"Oh, excuse me. Brown or gray?" He replied sarcastically. She playfully threw a pillow at him. He picked out a jacket, sliding it off the hanger.

"We need to expedite your training." Ben told her as he shrugged on his jacket.

"I know, I know. The Resistance keeps slipping up. We need to be prepared."

"That's right." Ben said, striding to the kitchen, grabbing for a mug. Rey turned over in the bed, but before she could shut her eyes, the shattering of ceramic on the floor startled her.

"Ben?" She asked. She looked towards the kitchenette, his hands gripping the countertop.

"Ben?" She asked again. She got out of the bed and hurried over to him.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?" She asked. She touched his hand and she felt the pain. He looked at her and all he could say was "My mother...."

XXX

Rey raced down the hill towards the hanger, her heart racing. Her hair whipping behind her as she ran faster than she ever had before. She slid a couple times down the hill, scrambling against the wet grass to gain her footing.

She pulled open the door to the dormitories. The dining hall was empty save for a handful of Resistance fighters and one familiar face.

"Rey!" Poe said cheerfully. "You're up early."

"Poe, where is Leia?" Rey nearly screamed. She needn't say anything more. He whipped around, his plate of food clattering to the ground. He raced out of the hall and down towards the rooms, Rey at his heels. Rey slid in her muddy boots as she turned a corner, pushing back against it with the Force to keep from falling over.

Poe punched a button on the side of a door at the end of a hallway and he raced inside, falling to his knees.

Leia was slumped over on the floor next to her bed. Her knees were curled and an arm outstretched as if she had been reaching for help.

"Get the medical staff!" Poe yelled. Some of the other awake Resistance members had seen them running and one of them ran off to get help.

"Is she breathing?" Rey asked, as Poe turned Leia over.

"I.... I don't know." Poe said, his hands trembling.

"I NEED MEDICAL NOW!" Poe screamed. He placed a hand against Leia's neck, positioning her head so he could perform mouth to mouth resuscitation. BB-8 zipped into the room, spewing an alarming series of beeps.

"BB-8, go get Finn and Rose." Rey ordered.

Connix showed up in the room, a hand clamping to her mouth.

"What happened?" She asked Rey. Rey just shook her head.

A medical staff member got there at the same time that Finn and Rose did. Rose burst out crying.

"FINN, HELP ME GET HER ON THE STRETCHER!" Poe yelled. As the medical staff wedged a stretcher into the room, Poe took Leia's shoulders and Finn took her feet as they hoisted her onto the stretcher. The doctor placed a clear tube over Leia's mouth to get her oxygen and she was whisked away down the hall.

XXX

Rose and Rey held each other in the hallway with BB-8 next to them as Finn paced back and forth in front of the door leading to the makeshift medical wing.

"How did you know Rey?" Rose whispered to Rey as she continued to sniffle.

She couldn't tell them the truth. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"Rey?" Rose asked again.

"I..... I can't explain...." Was all Rey could choke out. Rose started crying again. BB-8 gave a sad, slow beep.

After several hours, Connix emerged from the medical room. Her eyes were puffy from crying.

"Well?" Finn asked.

"She needs assistance to breathe." Connix told them, her voice wavering.

"Do they know what happened?" asked Rose.

"They think a heart attack." She said, referring to the medical staff.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Connix just burst into tears. Rose left Rey's side to go and console Connix, the women hugging tightly. Finn headed towards the door.

"Wait, Finn." Rey told him. He stopped, and gave her an understanding nod. Instead he went back to Rose, rubbing her back as she continued to sob.

Rey entered the medical wing. Poe was sitting on a stool at Leia's side, holding one of her hands. The clear tube was still placed over Leia's mouth. She was hooked up to a large white machine that beeped every so often.

"Rey! Oh dear what a horrible day it is!" C3-PO said to her from the corner of the room. R2-D2 was in there as well, his blue light slowly flashing in a sad fashion.

"Shut up C3-PO." Poe told the droid.

"Could we have a moment?" Rey asked the protocol droid.

"Certainly. Excuse me." C3-PO said, exiting the room stiffly. R2-D2 gave a sad whistle.

Rey laid a hand on Poe's shoulder. He continued to stroke Leia's hand with his thumb, his other hand resting on his chin, his eyes red.

"Poe....." She said. "Poe, you need to go take a rest. Let Finn and I take watch for a while." She told him.

He vehemently shook his head.

"No. I can't leave her." He said.

"Poe. Please." Rey said. Finn came in the room.

"Come on buddy." Finn told Poe.

"No, I'm not leaving." Poe said angrily. Rey and Finn exchanged worried looks.

"Poe, you need to rest." Finn told Poe, putting his hands on his friends shoulders.

"No." Poe said again.

"You can lie down out in the hall. I can get you a blanket. Just please." Finn encouraged. Poe's lower lip was trembling.

"We will be right here. I will be right here. I won't leave her." Rey told Poe. He hung his head and began to sob into Finn's shoulder. Rey's heart broke as she watched his pain. Finn patted Poe's back, almost struggling with Poe's weight as he cried. Finn led Poe out into the hallway. Rose there with a blanket, draping it over his shoulders as the medical doors closed.

Rey sighed and took a seat on the stool Poe had occupied earlier. R2-D2 continued to slowly blink blue in the corner. She reached out with both hands and took Leia's cold soft hand into her own. She rubbed her thumb across the back of Leia's hand. The machine in the corner still beeped. Rey felt tears begin to flow from her eyes as she stared at Leia. Her face and lips were pale.

R2's light sequence changed from blue to red and he curiously beeped at Rey. She slightly jumped as she felt a looming presence behind her. She turned her head to look behind her.

"Ben?" She whispered.

Ben looked sick. He stared down at his mother with such pain in his brown eyes, her eyes. Rey could feel his aura radiate around him and it made her stomach knot. He didn't say anything to Rey, he just slowly approached the bed. He continued to stare down at Leia. He took her hand out of Rey's hand and stood there for a few moments, holding it gently.

Ben used the Force to show his mother all the good memories he had of her. A young Ben gifting his mother the perfume he had purchased from Naboo. Han standing back from them, watching and smiling. Leia bidding goodbye to Ben as he was leaving for training with Luke. Her small frame having to reach up to kiss him on the cheek.

Ben showed her the guilt he felt for killing Han. How he had been promised by Snoke this was who he was meant to be, how it would end all his confusion. How it only resulted in Ben feeling confused more than ever. How he hadn't pulled the trigger during the attack on the Resistance's capital ship. He showed her how he had been the one to kill Snoke in an attempt to gain control back of his own life.

He showed her Rey and how he had kissed her in the field on the hills of Naboo. How Rey made him happy. How he wished she would be happy for him. He showed her what life could be like, the two of them. He showed her Rey in his arms, her smiling up at him as she cradled a growing belly which he gently touched in return. And most of all, he showed his mother what she always knew. That there was still light in him.

He let go of her hand and turned away from her.

"Are you going to say anything?" Rey quietly asked Ben, not looking up at him.

"I said all I needed to." He told her, and with that he was gone.

Rey blinked back tears. R2's light sequence turned back to blinking blue.

There was skip in the monitor and Leia's hand twitched. Rey hurriedly grabbed for it.

"Leia?"

Leia weakly moved her head to the side, her eyes searching the room.

"Ben...." She whispered under the breathing device. "He..... He was here....." She whispered to Rey.

Rey kind of laughed as tears dripped from her lashes.

"Yes! Yes, Leia. He was here." Rey told her, gripping at her hand. Leia moved her other hand to lay on top of Rey's.

"He loves you." Leia told her. Rey looked down and smiled.

"I kind of figured." Rey said.

"Thank you." Leia whispered.

"For what?" Rey asked.

"For bringing back my son." Leia said. She closed her eyes and the machine in the corner began to loudly beep. R2's light sequence flashed to red.

"Leia? LEIA?" Rey cried.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. 

Rey turned and screamed for Poe and Finn. They burst into the room. Poe grabbed Leia's hand out of Rey's hand and laid his torso on the bed. He gripped at Leia's hand, his body wracking with sobs. Finn had one arm around Rose, the other around Rey, as they stood together and watched their beloved General and Princess leave the galaxy forever.


	19. Mourning

Ben had gone to the command bridge after he left Rey. His stomach was in knots and his mind was swimming. Hux was standing on the bridge, overseeing the Comlink operators. Ben tried to keep his composure calm as he sat down next to the pilot.

"No training today?" Hux asked Ben. Ben didn't answer. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he was going to be sick.

"It's for the better." Hux said, turning his attention to staring out at the galaxy. "We can focus on sending more troops to find the Resistance."

Ben closed his eyes as a wave of dread washed over him. He gripped the arm of the chair he sat in, denting the metal. He felt a flood of pain following by an eerie ease of calmness and he knew in that moment, that Leia had passed.

He felt his breathing stop for a moment. He choked for air, masking it as a cough as the pilot turned to look at him.

"Supreme Leader, are you all right?" the pilot asked. Ben didn't reply. He winced as he tried to sit up in the chair. He felt like was going to pass out.

"Supreme Leader?" The pilot asked again.

Ben just quickly nodded. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, his chin in his hand, letting his fingers cover his mouth as if in thought. He was trying to very hard to control his breathing. His head was exploding with pain.

"I was thinking we could send a troop to Hoth next." Hux was saying, ignoring Ben. "Perhaps even one to Coruscant."

"Supreme Leader, what do you think?" Thanisson asked from the control panel.

"Fine." was all that Ben was able to muster up. Hux looked pleased. Thanisson started typing away at his control panel, plotting coordinates for the two planets.

"Sir?" One of the Comlink operators said to Hux. Hux turned and looked at her, almost glaring.

"What is it?" Hux snapped.

"Sir, we've just picked up on a distress signal."

Hux practically foamed at the mouth.

"GET ME THAT SIGNAL ON SCREEN." He screamed. On the holo screen, a red beeping distress signal branched out in multiple directions headed for multiple sources.

"Where is it originating from?" Hux demanded.

"It's coded. Just like all the others." One of the operators announced.

"Damn!" Hux spat.

The room watched as the reach of the signal pinged from planet to planet on the holo screen, beeping with every destination it reached. The sound mimicked the machine from the medical room and Ben felt his breathing quicken.

"Sir, incoming transmission from the troop on Tattooine."

"Patch it through." Hux ordered. One of the commander troopers came on the holo projector.

"General Hux." The trooper said with a nod.

"RN-0810, this better be important." Hux barked.

"Sir, word is spreading that the Princess is dead."

Hux pursed his lips in a satisfied smile.

"Oh REAAAAALLLLLYYY?" Hux said, turning to gauge Ben's reaction. Ben didn't look at him. He continued to stare at the holo screen as the red of the distress signal trekked across the galaxy.

"Yes, Sir. We have yet to confirm the rumors."

"No need." Hux said smugly. "Dismissed." Hux told RN-0810. The transmission was ended. The room was silent. Ben could feel multiple sets of eyes on him.

"Well, well, well." Hux purred as he stepped closer to Ben. "My condolences." Hux said rudely.

"They're right where we want them." Hux continued. "Without their precious General we can wipe them out. Their location will shortly be exposed."

"No." Ben said.

"I beg your pardon?" Hux replied, shocked.

"No." Ben repeated.

"Ren, remember what Snoke said. Do not let your personal interests interfere." Hux said through gritted teeth.

"I SAID NO." Ben screamed, standing up in a huff.

"Five days amnesty. That is my order." Ben commanded. Hux glared at him. Ben reached a hand up to threaten to choke Hux. Hux's eye twitched at the motion.

"Understood?" Ben hissed. Hux just continued to glare at him. Ben turned and walked off the bridge back to his room.

Once he was there, he wasn't surprised to see Rey waiting for him on his bed. She ran up to him and wrapped him in her arms, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, Ben. I'm so sorry." She whispered into his torso. He couldn't hug her back. He pushed her back from him as he stumbled away, falling to knees and became violently ill on the floor.

Rey helped him up and made him lie down on his bed. She removed his boots for him, setting them to next to the bed. She cleaned up the sick from the floor, occasionally glancing towards the bed to check on Ben. He laid there silent and facing away from her.

Rey wrung out the rag into the kitchen sink and dried her hands off on a towel. She went over to the bed, crawling across it to him.

"Ben?" She said softly as she leaned against his back. She wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Ben, I need to get back." She said to him, hugging his back.

"No." Ben said.

"Ben, they need me." She whispered.

"I need you." He whispered back. Rey sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"All right." She said. She laid there with him until she felt him fall asleep.

XXX

Back on Naboo, Rey headed back down to the hangers. Rose and Finn were sitting together in the dining hall. Rose reached out for a hug when she saw Rey walk in.

"How's Poe?" Rey asked Finn as she broke away from Rose's hug, already knowing the answer.

"Not good." Finn said, shaking his head. "He won't leave the room."

Rose sniffled.

"What are we going to do now?" Rose asked. Finn shrugged.

"We still have the ships and the new recruits." He said. "But we need guidance."

"We need Leia." Rose said as she began to sob again. Finn reached out and took one of Rose's hands and held it in his.

C3-PO walked up to them.

"Excuse me, your presence is requested at the command center." C3-PO told the trio. They followed him to the adjoining hanger with the communications system. Connix was typing away at one of the computers.

"I've got bad news." Connix she told them, wiping at her eyes.

"What now?" Finn asked, exasperated.

"This was passed to us from one of our allies." Connix said. She tapped a little more on the computer and brought up a holo screen. It was a message from Hux.

"This message goes out to the rebel scum of the Resistance. News of your Generals passing has reached us. The First Order grants five days amnesty. At the end of the five days, we will launch an attack that will lead to your ultimate destruction. You have been warned."

"Five days?" Finn asked. "How can we be ready to fight in five days? Our General just died!" Rose burst into tears again.

"This isn't good. We need to talk to the Queen." Connix told them. "Leia promised no violence on the planet. We need to uphold her promise."

"How are we going to get an audience with the Queen now?" Finn asked.

Connix, Finn, and Rey all turned to Rose. She sniffled.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

Rose, Finn, and Rey were granted access into the palace for an emergency meeting with the Queen. She was already dressed in black, her dark hair almost blending into her dress as it hung down in two low braids.

"This is a time of great sorrow and mourning." Queen Annaly told them. "But I stand firm on what I said."

"Your highness." Finn said, stepping forward. "We understand this is a cause of concern. We don't want any violence brought here either. But the First Order--"

"I am aware of their brutal ways." Annaly interrupted Finn. He stepped back, looking embarrassed.

"My Queen." Rose said. "We promise not to bring the fight to the surface of Naboo."

"Rose, we can't guarantee that!" Finn hissed. Rose shushed him.

"But please, let us continue to use the planet as our communications center. We can move the star ships to the Eravana and use that as our main ship." Rose continued. "And any fallen debris we will clean up from the planet."

The Queen pursed her lips.

"I like you Rose. You have a good heart. I believe you when you say you will not bring any violence upon my planet. And as long as there is no violence on the surface, you may stay."

"Thank you, my Queen." Rose said.

"And what of any funeral arrangements?" Annaly asked. "Any next of kin?"

Finn looked at Rey.

"Why are you looking at me?" Rey hissed, growing red in the face. Finn shrugged. Rey stepped forward.

"He um.... Uh.... Well..... He..... Won't be involved...." Rey announced.

"I see." The Queen said, She motioned for one of her guards and whispered something to them. They nodded.

"Very well then. Since Leia was my distant cousin, we will arrange for the funeral to be held here in three days. She can be buried next to her mother, my dear great Aunt Padme."

"Thank you." Finn said. Annaly nodded.

"For the time being, we would like to extend an offer to those close to Leia to stay in the family home on Varykino while the preparations are being made."

"Where's that?" Rose asked.

"In the Lake Country."

"We appreciate your kindness." Rey said. The Queen nodded again and they all bowed and left.

When they returned to the dormitories, Chewie and Bloom had come down from the Eravana. Rey gave Chewie a big hug. He roared sadly.

"Where's Poe?" Finn asked Bloom. She rubbed at her red eyes. She had been crying as well.

"The medical ward."

"He's still there?" Rose asked.

"While you were away they.... They had to take her bod.... Well, they took her away. And he want ballistic. The medical staff had to sedate him." she told them.

Finn flinched.

"The Queen has agreed to host the funeral arrangements. We've been invited to stay in the Lake Country." Rose told Bloom.

"I'll let Daddy know."

"He's coming?" Finn asked. Bloom nodded.

"He's on his way with one of his largest cruisers. Said something along the lines of, we will probably need it."

While they discussed the arrangements, Rey gave her friends hugs and excused herself back to the Falcon.

XXX

Rey meditated until she connected with Ben. He was still lying in his bed, but had since woken up.

"Still feeling sick?" She asked as she crawled into the bed with him. He didn't answer. He just stared at the wall.

"They're going to bury her in three days. On Naboo. Next to her mother." Rey told him as she gently stroked his hair.

"Padme?" Ben croaked out, his throat dry.

"Yes. We've been invited to stay at the house in the Lake Country." She told him. She got up and went to get him a glass of water. He took it hesitantly and took a sip. He handed it back to her and she set it down on his desk.

"I wish you could be there." Rey said as she sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his shoulder. Ben just rolled over. Rey sighed. His pain was overwhelming. She could barely touch him without beginning to feel sick herself. She crawled back in the bed, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his back. His shuddering breaths lulling her to sleep.

XXX

"Sir? We have an updated report from the troops on Tattooine." Thanisson said to Hux. He brought up a transmission on screen for Hux to read.

"So the funeral will be on Naboo in three days." Hux said, as he read the transmission. "How perfect. All our enemies in one place at the same time. We can monitor the planet and track the scoundrels back to their hideout. In the meantime, I want the troops ready."

"Sir, I can not authorize that." Thanisson said. Hux glared at Thanisson.

"FINE. Obey your precious Supreme Leader." Hux spat at the officer. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

XXX

The funeral for Leia mirrored that of her mother, Padme. She was drawn through the streets of Theed on an open carriage pulled by Gualaars. Queen Annaly had her hair fashioned in the two iconic round buns that Leia had been known for back at the fall of the Empire. She was flanked by two of her guards, with Poe and Connix immediately behind them. Chewie, C3-PO and R2-D2 were next, followed by Finn, Rose, and Rey and finally, Lando and Bloom.

Mourners came from all corners of the galaxy and filled the streets, holding candles and muttering prayers as they passed.

Once they had reached the funeral temple, the Queen knelt next in front of the casket in prayer. Everyone else stood around the casket in a circle, holding hand with their heads bowed down. Rey couldn't help notice a blue hue out of the corner of her eye. She peeked up to witness the ghost of Luke Skywalker gently kiss the cheek of his beloved sister as she lay peacefully, looking almost like an angel. He looked up, meeting Rey's eyes. He looked at her sadly before fading away.


	20. Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone, the mature content, aka smut, you've been waiting for. So don't be offended, since I did warn you ;)

*inspired by 'Dress' by Taylor Swift*

Back at Varykino, the Queen had sent over an abundance of fresh local foods for Rey and her friends. But no one was hungry. Poe still cried the most, choosing to lock himself in one of the upper bedrooms of the spacious home. Rose and Finn stood in the dining room in front of the full table, Finn holding one of her hands.

"I'm worried Finn." Rose was telling Finn. Rey watched them from the hallway, not wanting to impose on their moment together.

"The First Order is going to come for us in two days. I don't know if we are ready." She said.

"You don't have anything to worry about." Finn told her. "You're brave. Stubborn, but brave. And I wouldn't be here without you."

He gave her a hug before leaning down a bit to kiss her gently. Rey turned her head, feeling guilty. She hadn't heard from Ben in days. There had been no time for meditation with all the funeral preparations. She hoped he was okay. She could still sense him through the Force. He was depressed, his aura heavy with sadness. Rey felt sad too. Soon she was going to have to join Ben in the fight against the Resistance.

She headed to her room, shutting the door behind her. She walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the lake, leaning her hands on the railing. Dusk was falling and the sky was a hue of purple as the sun was setting.

A tear rolled down her cheek, dripping into the water below. She quickly wiped at her face.

"It is beautiful out here."

Rey was startled, but did not jump. Ben approached her from behind and he joined her at the balcony.

"It is, isn't it." Rey said, looking back out across the water. It was quiet between the two for a few moments.

"I missed you." She finally spoke. Ben reached over for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"I missed you too." He said. She leaned over to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I wish you could have been here Ben." Rey whispered. She squeezed his hand. "It was a wonderful service." She said, speaking of the funeral.

Ben looked down and squeezed her hand back.

"It was, wasn't it?" He said, a light smile on his lips. Rey raised her head, snapping it to the side to look up at Ben, who only smiled back.

"OH MY GOSH BEN, YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE!" Rey screamed as she flung her arms around him.

"I may be a monster, but I would never miss my mothers funeral." Ben told her. Rey ran her hands across his chest - poking and prodding at him - trying to be sure he was really, physically here.

"How did you get here?"

"My ship."

"How did you get HERE?" She said, indicating the house.

"I let myself in."

"Did anyone see you?"

"Do you think anyone saw me?"

Rey gave him another hug. She buried her face into his torso, breathing in his scent, enjoying the warmth that was actually there compared to the coldness from the Force connection. Ben stroked her hair, smiling to himself.

"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered to him. He raised a hand to her chin and lifted her face to meet his and softly kissed her.

"I love you, Rey." He whispered against her mouth.

"I know." Rey whispered back. Ben leaned his forehead against her forehead, his heart beating fast.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He said softly. She blushed as she looked down at the dress she was wearing.

"I only bought this dress so you could take it off." She whispered in his ear.

It was almost a struggle as the two of them made their way off the balcony as they were locked in a passionate kiss. First his boots, then his socks, her shoes - the clothing trailing across the gray fur rug of Rey's guest room leading up to the bed.

His belt, his jacket. His shirt hit the floor next with a soft pat.

"I don't want to do anything to hurt you." Ben whispered against her lips as her hands tugged at his pants.

"I'm not worried." Rey said.

Ben stopped her hands and turned her around. His hands found the zipper of the dress and he slowly inched it down, kissing her shoulder as the sleeves fell away. He kissed her neck as the zipper tugged to a stop above her hips. She slipped out of the dress, kicking it to the side as it touched the floor.

He grabbed her waist and hoisted her onto the bed. His hands shaking as he finished unbuckling his pants. He climbed on top of her, kissing her collarbone, her bare breasts heaving up and down as her breathing quickened.

He kissed down in-between her breasts, a hand coming up to caress one as he kissed his way down her body.

He reached her hips. She still wore a pair of light colored underwear. He hooked a finger under the side and tugged down. Rey lifted her hips, allowing him to remove them, pointing a foot as they slid off and down to the floor.

His hand was warm as he touched the folds of her womanhood. She was wet with anticipation, and he decided to slowly slide a finger inside her. She gasped at the action, gripping at the bed sheets at the sensation.

He moved his finger in and out, Rey beginning to moan between gasps. He added a second finger, and then a third. Rey was grabbing for his arm, her nails digging in.

"Ben." She was gasping. "Ben... I want you." She pleaded.

Ben removed his fingers from her and went to remove his own underwear. He looked away as he did so, feeling slightly embarrassed. Rey's eyes were wide as she stared at his erection. She wanted to touch it, but she felt intimidated. She bit her lip as she thought of what was about to happen.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked quietly.

"Yes." Rey whispered breathlessly.

He positioned himself outside her entrance. He placed one arm at Rey's side, the other hand guiding his member into her.

She cried out as she felt both pleasure and pain as he entered her. Ben gripped at the headboard over her with his free hand as he thrust back and forth. Rey wrapped her legs around his waist.

He lowered his face to hers and kissed her as their bodies moved together. Her breathing was quick, her breasts heaving with each thrust. He breathed heavily in the crook of her neck.

Rey moaned louder and louder and she found herself biting into his shoulder as a means to muffle the sounds of the pleasure he was giving her.

"Rey." Ben said, breathing heavy. He could feel himself getting close to a climax. He looked in her eyes. He was worried about cumming inside her. She could sense his hesitation.

"Please." Rey whispered. She didn't care about the chances. She wanted to feel his release inside her.

Ben grunted as he thrust harder into Rey. She could feel herself about to climax as his motions became more intense.

She felt warmth drip between her legs, his member still throbbing inside her following his release. He leaned his head down against the headboard, trying to catch his breath. Her breasts continued to heave up and down.

'Wow." Rey gasped. Ben softly chuckled. He removed himself from her laid down next to her in the bed.

XXX

In the morning, Rey and Ben woke up in each others arms, still naked from the night before. Ben got up first, heading to the bathroom to clean up. He gathered up his clothes piece by piece, taking them with him.

Rey woke up to the sound of the shower running. She turned to see Ben gone, an indentation of his shape still fresh on the covers of the bed. She sat up, holding a sheet up to her chest to cover herself. She smiled at the memories of the night before. They had sex two more times last night. The second with her on top, the third he had taken her from behind with Rey muffling her cries of pleasure into the pillows. She blushed and her body tingled at the thoughts.

Ben emerged from the bathroom, his hair a bit damp. He was fully dressed.

"Good morning." She said to him. He approached the bed and leaned down to kiss her gently.

"Good morning." He said back. Rey blushed.

"I'm afraid I need to get back to the cruiser." Ben told her, not wanting to look her in the eye to see the disappointment on her face.

"Oh." Rey said sadly.

"They don't know that I left. I've been gone too long." He said. Rey nodded in understanding.

"But I will see you soon." He told her as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I will come back for you before the end of the fifth day." He gave her a kiss on the forehead, standing back up.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." Rey said as she hugged the covers to herself. Ben carefully exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Rey got up and went to take her turn in the shower.

XXX

Ben walked up to the forest of trees nestled behind Varykino. His ship was shielded by the heaps of moss that hung down from the branches. He entered his ship, settling down in the pilots chair. He pressed a couple of buttons on the ship, the craft lighting up. The engine began to turn before quickly shutting down.

"What the -" Ben said aloud as the lights in the cabin of his ship turned all turned red.

A transmission opened up on his computer screen. It was Hux.

"Ben Solo." Hux sneered, his lips curling up deviously. "I have tracked your intergalactic booty call. I have seized control of the First Order. By this afternoon, your precious scavenger whore and her rebel friends will be eliminated, and so will you."


	21. Traitor

Ben slammed his fist on the dash of his ship as the recorded transmission ended. He tried to start the ship up again but the engine refused to ignite.

Ben gritted his teeth and grunted in frustration. He held down the communications button and soon was connected to the cruiser.

"Hello, BEN." Hux said scathingly. "Having engine troubles?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SHIP?" Ben yelled.

"Oh, I disabled it." Hux said, picking at his fingernails as if this was the most boring conversation in the galaxy.

"When I get up there -"

"Ah ah, that's where you're wrong." Hux said, wagging a finger at Ben. "You won't be able to make it back here in time. The troopers are being prepped to invade as we speak."

"I AM THE SUPREME LEADER." Ben shouted.

"WRONG! I AM THE SUPREME LEADER NOW." Hux roared. "You are a traitor to the First Order, Ben Solo. Snoke warned me of your growing affections for that... that... that filth. Right before you brought her to his leadership, right before you ruthlessly murdered him, he warned me. He said as long as she was alive you would go to her. And he was right."

Hux rubbed his chin in thought.

"What I don't understand is how she was coming and going from the cruiser without my knowledge."

"She never was on the cruiser." Ben said.

"LIES." Hux yelled. "Explain how Millicent could smell her on your bed then?"

Ben recalled the recent occurrence of Hux letting Millicent loose in his room, when he accused her of having fleas.

"I have personally tracked every ship coming and going from the cruiser. And even though you disabled your ships tracker, I knew how to reactivate it from afar. You personally lead yourself and that of your bitch to your own demise. The Resistance doesn't stand a chance."

"I am going to murder you." Ben growled. Hux just laughed as Ben ended the transmission.

Ben scrambled out of the pilots seat and ran back down towards the lake house.

"REY!" He yelled as he ran up the wooden stairs. He reached the landing at the top of the stairs and Rey burst out of her room.

"Ben! I thought you left." She said, happy to see him.

"Rey, we need to go. NOW." He said. Her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"What's happened?" Rey asked as she ran back into her room and grabbed her bag.

"It's Hux. He's taken over." Ben said as he thundered back down the stairs, Rey right behind him.

"Taken over?"

"Yes. He's ended the amnesty that I ordered. The First Order is on their way."

"Ben, I have to warn my friends." She said, pushing past him on the stairs.

"Rey, there's no time!" Ben said, reaching to grab her arm as she went past. She moved her arm out of his reach and ran out the front doors.

"REY!" He yelled after her.

Rey ignored Ben's calls for her to stop. She ran as fast as she could back to the hangers.

XXX

Rose, Finn and Poe had returned early in the morning to the hangers. Poe was still in a slump, slouching in one of the communications chairs, picking at the armrest. Rose and Finn were discussing how much of the leftover food to send to the Eravana for the others who had been stationed there. A blur out of the corner of Finn's eye caught his attention.

"Hey, isn't that Rey?" He asked, squinting out the doors of the hanger.

"I think so." Rose said, glancing over quickly.

Finn suddenly bolted to the doors, Poe looking up at the sudden movement.

"REY!!!!" Finn yelled to Rey.

"FINN!!!!" She yelled back.

"REY! LOOK OUT! HE'S BEHIND YOU!" Finn shouted. Poe stood up quickly from his chair, knocking it to the floor with a clatter. Rose looked to Poe and back Finn.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"It's Kylo Ren." Poe said angrily.

"Quick! Hand me a blaster!" Finn said to Poe. Poe tossed Finn a blaster and Finn readied it at his shoulder.

"FINN!!!" Rey yelled again as she got closer to the hangers.

"I'VE GOT YOU REY!" Finn shouted. Rey ran up to Finn and he grabbed her, pushing her behind him protectively. He pointed the blaster at Ben.

"Finn, we've got to go now." Rey said, catching her breath. "The First Order is coming."

"Yeah, we can see that." Poe said, watching Ben approach the hanger. He had stopped running at this point.

"No, you don't understand. They know we are here. We need to get off the planet, NOW." Rey said.

"Let me take care of this asshole first." Finn said, looking at Ben through the scope of the blaster.

"Finn-" Rey started. But it was too late. Finn fired the blaster. Ben froze the shot of the blaster in mid-air like he had done to Poe back on Jakku. Ben lifted a hand towards Finn and his face became panicked as he realized he was being held in place by the Force, unable to move.

"Let me at him." Poe said, shoving past Rose and Rey. Ben raised his other hand, freezing Poe the same as Finn.

Rose quickly raised a blaster. Rey turned to her, her hand raised as well.

"Please don't make me do it." Rey said to her.

Rose looked hurt as she looked up at Rey. She slowly lowered her blaster and Rey lowered her hand. Ben had reached the doors of the hanger.

"I told you there's no time for this." Ben said to Rey.

"Ben, they had to be warned."

"BEN?" Finn and Poe said together.

"The First Order is on their way." Rey told them. "They're going to attack Naboo if we don't get to them first."

"How do you know all this?" Rose asked Rey.

"Ben told me." Rey said, looking back at Ben.

"He's got to be lying to you Rey." Finn said as he struggled against Ben's Force hold.

"Shut up." Ben said to Finn.

"Suck my dick." Finn snapped back. Finn felt his throat squeeze. He gasped for air.

"BEN!" Rey scolded. Ben stopped choking Finn.

"Hux has taken over the First Order. He's loading the troops to attack in a few hours." Ben said.

"But we had two days left." Rose said. "Hux gave us five days amnesty."

"I gave you five days amnesty." Ben said with emphasis. "Not Hux."

"You?" Poe asked. "Why you?"

"Why? My mother just died, that's why." Ben told him angrily. Poe got very angry at the mention of Leia.

"I was the son she always wanted." Poe spat at Ben. Ben looked Poe right in the eyes.

"Yes. You were." Ben said. "And for that, I thank you."

Poe looked taken aback. He had meant to hurt Ben with his words, not be praised for them. He stopped struggling against the hold Ben had on him and he slowly felt it release. Poe huffed and straightened his jacket.

"So we evacuate the planet. Then what?" Poe asked Rey.

"Get to the cruiser and kill Hux." Ben said.

"I didn't ask you." Poe said to Ben. He turned back to Rey.

"Well?" He asked.

"We get to the cruiser and kill Hux." Rey repeated. Poe made a face.

"What about the troopers?" Rose asked.

"Either we get to the cruiser before they launch or we take them out on their descent to the planet." Ben said.

"Bloom can get the starships on the Eravana into position to combat any TIE fighters." Poe said to Rose and Rey, completely ignoring Ben. "Rose, let Connix know what's happening and tell everyone at ground level to get above the atmosphere as quick as they can."

"Right!" Rose said, running off.

"Rey, I need you to get onto the cruiser without being seen. Once you're in, you'll need to clear the docking bay so the rest of the flight crew can fly in their ships to help take out the troops." Poe told her.

"What about me?" Finn said, still in Ben's hold. Ben had forgot about him. He let him go, the shot from the blaster unfreezing at the same time. It went shooting off into the hills, blasting against the ground.

"Finn, you'll come with me to load the Eravana with our weapons. We'll need them up there once Rey clears the bay."

"And then we'll kick his ass?" Finn asked, pointing to Ben over his shoulder with his thumb.

"When this is over." Poe said. Ben glared at them. They hurried off in the direction Rose had ran off to.

"Is there a way we can get onto the cruiser without being seen?" Rey asked Ben.

"It depends." Ben said.

"Depends on what?"

"It depends on how we're getting up there. My ship has been disabled." Ben told her. "We need something with a cloaking device."

"Then I've got just the ship." Rey said, turning and running out of the hanger and towards the swamps.

XXX

"NO." Ben said as he approached the opening of the swamp. "No no no no no no no."

"What?" Rey asked as she lowered the ramp to the Falcon.

"I am NOT getting in that piece of junk." Ben said firmly.

"Why does everyone say its junk?" Rey said with a frown.

"Because it is. NO." he repeated again.

"Your ship is disabled. Looks like you don't have a say in the matter." Rey said as she went up the ramp and inside the ship.

"Chewie? Chewie are you in here?" She called. Ben begrudgingly went up the ramp, an intense look of disdain on his face.

Rey found Chewie asleep in the cockpit. She hurriedly shook him awake.

"Chewie, we have to leave now!" She said. "The First Order is preparing to attack. We have to get to the First Order Cruiser immediately. He roared in response and the Porgs scurried away as he started pressing buttons and flipping switches to start the Falcon.

The Porgs started squawking loudly from the hub of the ship. They did not like Ben. They started pecking at his boots.

"What the hell are those???" Ben said, disgusted, moving away from the Porgs. The next thing he knew, he was being shoved against the wall by a strong and furry arm. Chewie roared angrily in Ben's face.

"CHEWIE! PUT HIM DOWN!" Rey yelled. Chewie roared back.

"I know what he did. PUT HIM DOWN." Rey ordered again. Chewie let go of Ben and he growled at him.

"Nice to see you too." Ben told Chewie. Chewie snarled.

"I've got to fix the cloaking mechanism." Rey said to Ben. "Can you fly this thing?"

"Hang on." Ben said to Rey as she went to walk past him. He reached out a hand to stop her. Chewie grumbled. "You never said I had to fly this thing."

"Do you want to fix the cloaking mechanism?" She asked Ben.

"I don't know how to do that." Ben said.

"Then I need you to pilot us to the cruiser. Do you know how?" She asked again.

"Do I know how?" Ben asked angrily. "Do I know how?" He repeated. Ben whipped off his cape and tossed it onto the holo chess board and stomped to the cockpit and sat down hard in the pilots chair. He flipped a few switches and twisted a few knobs. The Falcons engine roared to life.

"Of course I know how to fucking fly this thing." Ben said.


	22. Supreme Leader

Ben was annoyed and frustrated but the controls came back to him as if piloting the Falcon was an everyday occurrence.

Rey came back into the cockpit with an armful of supplies.

"How long will it take for you to fix it?" Ben asked.

"Not too long. How long will it take us to get to the cruiser?"

"I'm finding it now." Ben said as he tapped at the dash. Chewie grumbled to Rey.

"He came for the funeral." Rey replied to Chewie, popping open a side panel in the wall of the cockpit. She ripped apart some silver tape and reached into the panel, pulling out some wires.

Chewie roared again.

"Hux disabled his ship, that's why."

"I'm right here you know, you can stop talking about me like I'm not here." Ben told Chewie. Chewie just roared back at him. The dash beeped with the results of the cruisers location.

"Fuck!" Ben said. "They're outside an asteroid field. Hux probably did this on purpose. It's going to make reaching them undetected a challenge."

"But it's possible?" Rey asked, wrapping some wires together with the silver tape.

"Yeah, it's possible. Hurry up with that thing." He told her.

"Gimme a minute." Rey said. There were a few sparks from the control panel. "Okay, we should be good now."

Ben raised the landing tripods and lifted the Falcon out of the swamp, piloting the ship towards the atmosphere. Rey reached over Ben's shoulder and activated the cloaking device. The ship shuddered and the button glowed green.

"It works." Rey told him.

"All right. Let's get this garbage to the cruiser." Ben said, pushing forward on the control of the ship. Rey gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Chewie fiercely roared seeing Rey touch Ben. Both Ben and Rey flinched at his anger.

"Please don't yell at us Chewie." Rey said to Chewie. Chewie continued to roar and rabble, pointing back and forth between her and Ben.

"Like you would have believed me if I had told you." Rey shot back to him, arms crossing. Chewie threw his long arms up in the air in frustration

"You sound like Han." Ben told him. Chewie roared back to him in a mocking tone.

"Yeah, well, it's a little too late for that." Ben said to Chewie, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"BEN!" Rey said, smacking Ben's shoulder. Rey went red in embarrassment. Chewie shook his head and grumbled to Rey. She gasped, offended.

"YOU'RE disappointed in ME?" Rey said. "He's just as guilty!" She said, pointing to Ben.

"Enough of this." Ben said angrily. "We're approaching the asteroid field. Rey, get down the gunpoint, I'll need you to clear a path."

Rey just nodded and hurried down to the gunpoint. When she was out of earshot, Chewie grumbled to Ben.

"Yes. Last night." Ben replied. Chewie gave Ben some side eye before reaching out a paw to Ben. Ben smirked and reached back, the two of them slapping hands in a brotherly celebration.

"Okay, I'm in position." Rey's voice came over the speaker into the cockpit.

"This is going to get bumpy." He said. He pushed the controls forward, dodging the asteroids left and right. Rey blasted the larger asteroids from down below. Chewie rumbled to Ben.

"This is NOT like the time I went for a joy ride." Ben replied. "This is definitely worse."

"I can see the cruiser in my sight." Rey paged up to the cockpit.

"I see it too." Ben said. Ben hit a button overhead and awaited a signal.

"Rey??? Rey, is that you???" came Poe's voice over the communications system. Chewie roared.

"No. It's Ben." Ben replied.

"Oh, Captain Asshat. What can I do for you?" Poe replied snarkily.

"We're approaching the cruiser." Ben said, wishing he could choke Poe through the communications.

"Dutily noted." Poe said, ending the transmission.

"How are we going to get in?" Rey asked.

"The hanger is bound to be already open. We'll just fly in and shoot."

"Are you serious?" Rey asked. "That's your plan?"

"Trust me." Ben paged back to her.

XXX

Hux stood before the mass of troops on board the cruiser in the training room.

"The Supreme Leader has been killed by the traitor Ben Solo." Hux announced to the crowd. The crowd remained silent at the revelation. His face grew angry as the troopers turned and looked at one another, one of them shrugging their shoulders.

"Aren't they the same person?" Asked one trooper.

"SILENCE IMBECILE!" Hux screamed. He snapped his fingers at Captain Herrera and she turned her large blaster towards the trooper who had spoke out. She pulled the trigger, the trooper falling to the floor dead from the blast.

"I AM THE SUPREME LEADER NOW." Hux roared. "YOU ANSWER TO ME."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." The crowd answered in unison.

"The Resistance has been hiding out on Naboo. Their defenses are down following the loss of their General. We attack TODAY. THIS IS THE END OF THE RESISTANCE!"

"Yes, Supreme Leader." The troopers responded.

"NOW GET TO YOUR SHIPS. WE BEGIN OUR DESCENT TO THE PLANET." Hux yelled. The troopers turned to leave the facility when a rumble from above caught everyone's attention.

"What was that?" Snapped Hux to Herrera as he looked at the ceiling above.

"It came from the docking bay."

Hux headed for the elevator in a huff, Herrera close behind. The doors of the elevator opened and Hux flinched back at the heat from the burning of several of the trooper transport ships.

"SOLO!!!!!" Hux roared, his fists clenching in anger.

"SCRAMBLE THE FIGHTERS!" Hux screamed at Herrera.

XXX

"Take that!" Rey said as she blasted inside the hanger at the waiting transports.

"Nice shot." Ben said as he flew the Falcon underneath the cruiser. "Take out some of the cannons." He told her.

"On it!" Rey said, twisting in her chair to angle the gun at the laser cannons. She fired and one of the cannons exploded in a fiery display.

"How's it going Captain Asshat?" Poe's voice came over the communications again. Ben gritted his teeth.

"Poe?" Rey called out, hearing him over the loudspeaker.

"REY! Have you reached the cruiser?" Poe responded.

"We just took out their transports." Rey reported.

"They'll be scrambling the Fighters next." Ben chimed in.

"All right. We'll send out the starships to give some cover. See you in the docking bay.... Asshole."

As soon as the transmission ended, they heard the screams of the TIE fighters as they departed the burning hanger.

"Here they come!" Ben warned Rey. She pivoted and shot back, sending one of the fighters spiraling down in a fit of smoke. Chewie roared to Ben.

Three TIE fighters were approaching from the front as they were coming out from the underside of the cruiser.

"FUCK!" Ben said, dodging the shots from the Fighters.

"Rey, get these fuckers out of my way!" Ben yelled.

"Kind of busy here!" Rey said, shooting at the fighters that were approaching from behind.

One of the TIE fighters in front was blasted, almost hitting the top of the Falcon as it exploded.

Ben looked up and saw an X-Wing zip by, blasting at the other two fighters.

"Got you covered." Poe paged down to them.

"Thanks." Ben replied, continuing to dodge the shots of the fighters.

"Not you." Poe said. "I was talking to Rey." Ben glared out the dash as Poe weaved back and forth in front of him, combating the blasts from the fighters.

Ben turned the Falcon sharply, heading back towards the docking bay.

"Violet Leader, cover us. We're going in." Poe paged.

"Roger that." came the voice of Bloom. A trio of star ships flew over head as Poe turned to follow the Falcon.

Ben let Chewie take over the controls and land the Falcon in the docking bay, the transports still smoldering. Rey came up from the gunpoint and Ben met her in the hub of the Falcon. He grabbed for her, pulling her in close, kissing her passionately. Rey tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing herself against him.

"That was some flying." Rey told him as they broke apart.

"That was some shooting." He said to her. He kissed her quickly on her forehead and grabbed his saber off his belt.

"Let's go." He said.

Ben and Rey raced down the ramp, meeting Poe who had just jumped out from his X-Wing.

"Where are the troopers? I was have expecting a welcoming party." Poe asked of Ben and Rey.

"They know we're here. Hux isn't going to send them to us. He's waiting for us to come to him." Ben said. BB-8 rolled up to them and immediately brought out his taser and zapped Ben in the shin.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Ben said, jumping back. Poe snickered. BB-8 angrily beeped at Ben.

"They're going to try to take out your ships next." Ben said. "Or worse."

"What could be worse?" Rey asked.

"He's going to try to blow up Naboo."

XXX

Hux was fuming as he watched from the command deck. The fighters were soaring around the cruiser, slowly being picked off by the Resistance starships.

"Turn the cruiser around." Hux ordered the pilot. "Take out their freighter."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Supreme Leader." Herrera said, approaching Hux. "The docking bay sensors have detected unauthorized ships."

"GET THE BAY ON SCREEN." Hux yelled. The Comlink operators started tapping away, bringing up the security feed of the docking bay.

"Solo...." Hux growled.

"Shall I send the troops down?" Herrera asked.

"Not yet." Hux said. "They will come to us. No sense in wasting our resources."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Herrera?" Hux said, holding up a hand in pause.

"Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"Tell the troops to leave the girl to me. And send my guests to the throne room."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Herrera said, slightly bowing her head. Hux turned on his heel and exited the command deck.

XXX

Poe ran back to his ship and grabbed the pager.

"Violet Leader this is Black Leader, come in."

"I know its you Poe, there's only two leaders." Bloom responded.

"Whatever. Get everyone off the Eravana, its their next target." Poe warned. "And get me Rose and Finn. I need them up here now." He said.

"Roger that." Bloom said.

Within minutes, Rose landed one of the Naboo starships in the docking bay. They hopped out and went up to the others.

"Rose, we're going to need you to shut down the cruisers weapons system." Poe told her. Rose's mouth fell open.

"I can't do that Poe." She stammered. "I'm just a mechanic. I fix things. Not take them apart." Poe put his hands on her shoulders.

"You're just fixing them in reverse." He told her, looking her right in the eye. "You can do this."

"Rose, if we don't take out their weapons system, Hux will destroy Naboo." Rey told her. Her eyes welled with tears.

"I believe in you." Rey told her. Rose puffed out her chest and let out a shaky breath.

"Okay." She said, looking amongst the crowd. "Let's do this."


	23. Feel It Still

*briefly inspired by 'Feel It Still' by Portugal. The Man*

Chewbacca took the Falcon back to the Eravana to help evacuate the freighter of the ground crew. The five of them and BB-8 raced for the service elevator, Ben using the Force to push one of the burning transports out of the way.

When they were in the elevator, awkward silence soon set in, save for the squeaks of the elevator.

"I've been wondering." Finn said, breaking the silence. "Why were you on Naboo?" He asked Ben.

Everyone except Rey turned to Ben, awaiting an answer as the elevator trudged painfully slow upwards.

"I came for the funeral." Ben said.

"Oh." Finn said, looking away. The elevator continued to squeak.

Rose nudged Rey.

"You're right." She whispered to Rey, peeking up at Ben. "He is kind of handsome." Rey blushed.

"How did you find Rey to tell her about the First Order?" Poe asked.

Ben's eyes looked down and to the side at Rey. She looked up, her eyes meeting his. She blushed again. A look of horror crossed Finn's face.

"EW!!!!!" He yelled.

Finn lunged for Ben and there was a physical scuffle as he grabbed Ben by the front of his jacket. Ben gritted his teeth, shoving his forearm against Finn's neck. Poe grabbed Ben's shoulders in an attempt to get Ben off of Finn. Rose was knocked back and she tripped over BB-8, who squealed loudly.

"Stop it!" Rey yelled at them. The doors to the service elevator opened and the boys stumbled out, Ben brandishing his saber at the men.

"Put that away." Rey told Ben. He obliged, glaring at Poe and Finn.

"There's no time for this." Ben said.

"This isn't over." Poe spat at Ben, pointing a finger in his face.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked Rose as she came out of the elevator, rubbing her side.

"I'm fine." She said. "Where do we go from here?"

"I'll take you to find the weapons system." Poe said. "BB-8 can scan the ship to find the route." Poe said to Rose.

"Finn, can you go with Rey to disable the shields?" Poe asked.

"Why do I always have to disable the shields?" Finn complained.

"Because you're so good at it." Poe told him. Finn made a face.

"I'll deal with Hux." Ben said.

"No one asked you." Finn snapped to Ben. Ben made a mock lunge towards Finn and he flinched backwards.

"Ben..." Rey said warningly. She pulled back on Ben's arm. He turned towards her.

"Be careful." She whispered to him. He pulled her close and leaned down for a kiss.

"GROSS!" Poe and Finn shouted.

"Awww!" said Rose.

"Come on, let's go." Poe said, gagging as he pulled Rose away towards a nearby corridor. Ben hurried down the main hallway.

"This way." Rey said to Finn and they turned down the corridor opposite the elevator.

They ran down the hall. Finn poised with his blaster and Rey with her saber.

"How could you have feelings for him, Rey?" Finn asked her and she could hear the hurt in his voice.

"It's complicated." Rey replied.

"Obviously it's not if you're kissing the guy."

"You don't know him like I do."

"He's a killer, Rey."

"He was turned to the dark side by Snoke. He wasn't always Kylo Ren."

"He's been a murderer as long as I've known him." Finn told her. Rey stopped running, Finn almost running into her.

"That - " she pointed back towards where they came from. "Was Ben Solo. NOT Kylo Ren." Rey told Finn firmly.

"This is too confusing." Finn said.

"Just hurry up." Rey told Finn, starting to run down the hall again. They turned a corner.

"Shit!" Finn hissed. There were two troopers at the end of the hallway.

"HALT!" one of them commanded at them. Rey deflected their blaster shots and Finn took them out with ease.

"The control room should be down here. They're always on the left side of the ship." Finn said, pointing down another hallway.

They turned down the hallway, another two troopers running up to meet them. While Finn was shooting at the troopers, two more came from behind.

Rey swung her saber at the troopers, knocking the blasters out of their hands and using the Force to shove them back down the hall where they came from.

"Go, go, go!" Finn yelled as they rushed forward, jumping over the fallen troopers.

XXX

"Supreme Leader." Herrera said to Hux as he sat on the metal throne, Millicent purring contently in his lap. "They've reached the maintenance quarters." She reported.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked. "Send the troopers after them!" Hux said, waving his hand.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Herrera said. She turned and nodded at the commander troopers who then exited the throne room.

"They'll be here soon enough." Hux said aloud. Millicent mewed in reply.

XXX

Ben approached the command deck. He had taken out a dozen or so troopers on the hallway alone. He braced himself as he used the Force to open the doors to the command bridge.

"Supreme.... Uh... Kylo... Err.... Ben Solo." Thanisson said as he turned to greet Ben. The Comlink operators stared wide eyed as Ben approached Thanisson.

"Where is Hux." Ben hissed.

"I can not divulge the Supreme Leaders whereabouts to a traitor such as yourself." Thanisson replied, his head held high. Ben reached out and began to Force choke him. One of the Comlink operators turned a blaster on Ben and he used the Force with his other hand to knock it away.

"Tell me. Where. Hux. Is." Ben snarled. Thanisson gasped for air.

"He's.... He's... Throne Room." Thanisson said as he clawed at his own throat. Ben knocked Thanisson down to the ground. Ben turned to leave the room.

"Ben." Thanisson said weakly, standing up. Ben stopped in his tracks.

"You should know." He began. "He has guests." Ben whirled around and stomped back towards Thanisson.

"What. Guests?"

XXX

"Finn! Do you copy?" Poe paged to Finn over the communications radio he had clipped on his belt. Finn scrambled for the radio.

"Poe, have you reached the weapons system yet?" Finn paged back.

"Not yet. There's a blockade at the entrance to the computers." Poe replied.

"Dammit." Finn said. He looked around the corner of the hallway he and Rey were stopped at and a shot came their way. Finn pointed his blaster around the corner and took out the troopers. He and Rey hurried forward.

"We're almost at the control room." Finn reported. Rey hurried towards the door of the control room and stabbed her lightsaber through the lock panel. Sparks shot out from the panel and the doors hissed open as the lock was deactivated. Two troopers turned around, surprised at the intrusion. Finn shot one with his blaster and Rey knocked the other to the ground with a kick. Finn started typing away at the control panel.

"I need an authorization card to disable the shields." Finn said. He looked around and searched the guards waist for a key card. He found it and yanked it off the guard. He pressed the card onto the computer screen and it was scanned. A beep of acceptance chimed and the screen turned green, allowing Finn access to the shield codes. Finn scrolled through the system and hit a large button to the side of the computer. A red light flashed above the monitor as the shields were deactivated.

"Poe, we're in. The shields are down." Finn paged to Poe.

"Great. Now get over to the right side so you can help us." Poe responded.

Finn and Rey raced back down the hall, passing by the downed troopers, occasionally shooting at one or two who popped out from the side corridors.

Once they reached the hall with the service elevator, Rey stopped.

"Rey, what are you doing?" Finn said to Rey. She looked down the hallway Ben had gone down earlier.

"I need to help Ben." She said.

"What?" Finn said, approaching her. He took her hand. "Rey, you don't need to go to him. The Resistance needs you. He isn't the Resistance."

Rey looked at Finn, his eyes filled with sadness and worry. Rey blinked back tears. She removed her hand from his.

"I'm sorry Finn." she said. "I feel it."

"Feel what?"

"The Force. It's telling me I need to go to him."

"Rey, if you go...." Finn trailed off, knowing that whatever was down that path wasn't good.

"Finn, I love him." Rey said, a tear escaping her eye and sliding down her cheek. Finn's face became cold.

"He needs me. I know it."

Rey's confession was screaming inside his head. He was trying to wrap his mind around it. Rey was saying something else to him, but he couldn't hear it as his thoughts swam. Rey turned to leave and he reached out his hand again to grab her wrist.

"Back on Crait..." Finn started. "Rose told me that we will win.... Not by fighting what we hate. But by saving what we love."

Rey sniffed.

"Go." Finn said, letting go of her wrist. Rey grabbed him into a tight hug, and he squeezed her back. She raced down the main hallway, Finn standing back and watching her leave.

XXX

Rey raced down the hallway. The path started out clear and then she was able to follow the destruction left in Ben's wake. There were slash marks on the walls and severed troopers on the ground. Rey hurried along until she came upon an elevator, this one much larger than the service elevator. Almost like the one she and Ben rode on the way to see Snoke. The door chimed, startling her. She braced herself as in her fighting stance as the doors hissed open.

"BEN!" She cried. Ben had also been in his fight stance, his saber ignited. Rey ran into the elevator and into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" He said into her hair, holding her close.

"I came to find you." She said.

"That's funny, I came to find you." He said. They walked out of the elevator and back into the hallway.

"The Force.... It told me to go to you." Rey said to him. "Did you find Hux?"

"Not yet, but I know where he is." Ben said. "Rey. There's a problem."

"What's that?"

"He's got the Knights of Ren with him."

Rey frowned, thinking about what this exactly meant.

"Can't you talk to them? You were in charge of them once." Rey said. Ben shook his head.

"It wouldn't do any good at this point. Hux has already told them I am a traitor to the First Order. They are protecting him."

"Well, we can just fight them." Rey said. Ben shook his head again.

"You don't understand. They're not Stormtroopers. They have the Force. I'm the only person you've fought against that uses the dark side. They will not be as kind."

"I can handle it." Rey said.

"Rey-" Ben started. But before he could finish, troopers rushed the hallway from each side.

They ignited their sabers and began fighting off the troopers. Blasts were deflected. Troopers were Force pushed against one another like a battering ram, slamming against the metal walls of the cruiser. Just when it seemed the numbers had dwindled, another wave of troopers came tromping down the hall, blasting as they marched.

She and Ben were back to back, each facing a different hallway and swarm of troopers. She could feel the anger radiate from Ben. She began to worry as the troopers advanced from multiple angles. She looked over her shoulder at Ben. He caught her eye, and gave a simple nod. 

As Rey raised her saber against the troopers, a series of shouts came from the opposite end of the hallway. It was the Resistance, led by Finn, Poe and Rose.

Not only was it the Resistance, it was her vision. She was never meant to battle against the Resistance with Ben, they were meant to fight alongside them. She was fulfilling her destiny.

The Resistance blasted at the incoming troopers from behind, giving Ben and Rey much needed assistance with their growing numbers.

"We need to get to Hux!" Ben yelled to Rey as he Force shoved another trooper to the ground, slicing at a blaster with his saber.

"Right!" Rey yelled. She looked out amongst the battling Resistance members and caught Finn's eye. He gave her a nod.

She smiled back before turning to join Ben on the elevator where he was standing waiting for her, his hand outstretched.


	24. Attack

They held hands in the elevator. Ben could tell Rey was nervous. Her hand trembled in his. He raised her hand to his mouth and he gently kissed her knuckles.

"You'll be fine. Remember your training." Ben whispered against her hand. Rey nodded, her other hand tightening around her saber.

The elevator slowed as they approached the floor with the throne room. They ignited their sabers in unison as the doors opened, only to reveal an empty hallway.

"I don't like this." Rey said as they exited the elevator. Ben didn't reply as he made his way in a huff towards the throne room.

The throne room doors opened as they approached. They could see Hux was perched comfortably in the throne, Captain Herrera at his side.

As they entered the room, Rey saw the Knights of Ren. Six dark hooded figures, three on each side of the room. Their masks were all different, but they still slightly resembled the mask Ben once wore as Kylo Ren. Rey felt scared as she saw one of the Knights place a hand on their saber.

"I see you've finally made it." Hux said amused. Millicent hopped down from his lap and slowly sauntered up to Rey, her tail in the air. She sniffed at Rey and Rey looked down at the cat, confused. Millicent hissed and darted back to Hux, jumping back up into his lap. She mewed at him.

"So it has been you all along." Hux said to Rey. "The junkyard slut."

Rey's eyes narrowed and she went to take a step forward.

'Don't.' Rey heard Ben say in her head.

"I don't take too kindly to stowaways sneaking onto my ship." Hux said to her.

"I haven't been sneaking onto your ship." Rey spat, unable to help herself.

"Your lies do no good. I know you've been on my ship." Hux snapped. His attention turned to Ben.

"And I know Ben has been sabotaging my attempts to find the Resistance."

Ben paled at the revelation.

"How?" Ben asked.

"Once I suspected you'd been fraternizing with the enemy, it wasn't too hard to figure out. You never did give me enough credit for my intelligence." Hux said, picking at his nails again.

"Disappearing all the time from your suite in the evenings made it easy to snoop around."

"You broke in my room?" Ben said angrily.

"I noticed one day you had dirt on the bottom of your boots." Hux said. "Obviously not a substance found on a military cruiser in the depths of space. But a mineral rich soil found only on Naboo." Hux said. "You really should sweep your room."

Ben angrily was gripping his lightsaber as Hux broke down all the little details.

"Not to mention the late night request for clothes from the females ward and the sub sequential decommissioning of the maintenance droid that brought them to you. All I had to do was run a scan on the droids system to find out what you had been up to, you naughty boy."

Ben ignited his saber and two of the Knights stepped forward, their respective sabers also igniting.

"You were never fit to be Supreme Leader." Hux said, rising from his seat. "You murdered Snoke and you blamed your whore for the crime."

"Ben?" Rey asked confused, looking up at Ben, hurt filling her eyes. Ben quickly looked down at her before returning his gaze to Hux.

"Oh, you never told her?" Hux said, a smile breaking onto his face. "That's why we have been trying to find you and the Resistance. So we could punish you for the crime. He is the reason we have been after you. HE is the reason your friends are in danger. HE IS THE REASON I WILL DESTROY ALL YOU HOLD DEAR!" Hux screamed. He snapped his fingers at Herrera.

"Charge the ventral cannons." He ordered Herrera.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." She said, walking over to a large metal control console and typing in some coordinates.

Rey's mind raced as she could feel the cruiser begin to slowly move. Rose and Poe were supposed to have disabled the weapons system, but it was still functional. Instead of disabling the system, they had come to her and Bens aid in the hallway with the Stormtroopers. Naboo was going to be attacked and it was all Rey's fault.

"NO!" Rey yelled. She raced forward towards Hux but was quickly cut off by one of the Knights. The Knight brandished his saber at her and she sliced at his arm. Before her saber could make contact, she was forced backwards by the Force being used against her. The Knight tried to hold her in place with the Force but she summoned her strength and anger to break free.

"You've taught her well." The Knight said to Ben.

"It doesn't have to be like this Vaal Ren." Ben said to the Knight.

"You are a traitor to the First Order and the Knights of Ren. You no longer have power over us." Said another of the Knights.

"Ventral cannons at ten percent." Herrera reported to Hux.

"Hux will just kill you once he gets what he wants." Ben said to the Knights, trying to reason with them.

"I will rid this galaxy of all the dirty traitors such as yourself." Hux spat to Ben.

"There can be a new order." Ben told the Knights. "Snoke is dead. We are no longer controlled by him. We no longer have him feeding off of our powers."

"They will never listen to you." Hux told Ben. "I am the Supreme Leader now. ATTACK THEM!" Hux yelled.

The Knights rushed Ben and Rey and it was a flurry of red sabers clashing at one another, the blue of Rey's saber dimmed by the crimson lights.

Rey ducked and kicked at one of the Knights legs, tripping him backwards. She sliced up with her saber and the Knight screamed out in pain as his arm was severed from his body, his lightsaber deactivating as it fell to the floor with a clatter. The Knight tried to Force her to the ground with his remaining arm. She escaped his Force hold and lunged at the other two Knights, blocking their blows back to back.

Ben was having an easier time with the Knight he was fighting, as they had all received the same training from Snoke. It was easier for him to predict their movements and combat their attacks. He pushed back against the Knights with the Force, causing a struggle. He was too powerful and one of the Knights stumbled backwards. Ben hacked forward with his saber, slicing the Knights saber hilt in half and cutting off some fingers in the process. The other two Knights retaliated, swinging their sabers wildly at Ben.

"Ventral cannons at thirty percent."

Rey reached for the fallen Knights saber on the floor with the Force and summoned it to her.

"No!" The Knight shouted. Rey ignited the saber. Red in one hand, blue in the other. She swung the sabers at the two Knights, knocking back their hits. She spun around with both sabers extended, jabbing one of the Knights in the side. The Knight stumbled back from the blow, his clothes burnt from the impact. He clutched at his wound and he reached out a hand and began to inflict pain into her with the Force.

She cried out, Ben whipping his head towards her briefly. She was struggling to swing her saber at the Knights and a piece of her linen fell to the floor after being cut as a Knight attempted to wound her.

Ben used the Force towards the Knight harming Rey with one hand, the other forcing back the Knights he was fighting with. It was a powerful charge that he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Fifty percent." Herrera reported.

Rey regained her footing, giving a grateful look towards Ben before turning back to the Knights. Hux glared at Ben.

"Leader Snoke was wise." Hux shouted to him. "He knew you were weak. He knew exactly how to get you to obey." Hux took a step down from the throne platform.

"He had you kill your worthless Father, letting you believe it would make you stronger. But Snoke knew all along that was never the answer." Hux continued.

"He knew you were going to go to the girl." He said as he walked over to the weapons console. "He knew you were too weak to resist her. He was going to have you kill her because he was threatened by the power she had over you."

"Seventy percent."

But I have the power now!" Hux yelled. "I AM THE SUPREME LEADER!"

Hux whipped towards Herrera and grabbed her blaster out of her unsuspecting hands. He pointed the blaster towards Rey and began to fire.

The previously injured Knight took a blaster hit to his back, falling forward. Rey dove towards the single Knight left fighting her. She furiously knocked away the shots from Hux, whipping at the Knight in front of her as he raised his saber against her.

Ben lunged for the Knight attacking Rey, ignoring the two Knights still swinging their sabers at him. But it was too late. Rey was hit in the side by Hux. She screamed at the shot and collapsed on the ground.

"REY!!!!!" He shouted. He gripped his saber tightly and whipped his saber across the Knights chest, knocking him back to the ground. Ben whipped around to face the remaining two Knights. Hux was still shooting, one of the shots narrowly missing him.

He sliced his saber at the Knights before raising his hands against them, using the Force to slam them against either side of the room. He looked back at Rey and he could see blood pooling at her side. He advanced upon Hux.

"Ventral cannons ready, Supreme Leader." Herrera reported.

"FIRE!!!!" Hux roared. Herrera pressed the launch button and Ben stopped, bracing himself for the shudder of the ship firing, but it never came.

"I SAID FIRE!!!" Hux screamed at her. He shoved her to the side, slamming his fist on the launch button. The console flashed red and beeped angrily.

"What does it mean, weapons system disabled?" Hux yelled as he continued to punch the launch button. He turned to Herrera.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" He screamed at her. He turned the blaster on her and fired, Herrera falling back to the floor with a metallic thud. He punched a different button on the console in a panic.

"Advance to the throne room!" Hux ordered across the communications system. Stormtroopers rushed the room and Ben hurried over to Rey's unconscious figure and stood over her as the troopers formed a circle around them.

"You've lost Ben Solo. You are trapped. Your bitch can't even help you now. Just look at her bleed." Hux said scathingly. Ben looked down at Rey in a panic, there was more blood than he originally thought.

His eyes bore into Hux with a fiery rage and he yelled, beginning to attack the troopers. He knocked away their blasters with his saber, but one of the troopers whipped out a Z6 baton off their back and hurled it towards Ben, knocking him to his knees.

He was being overpowered. His combat training with the troopers had backfired as they actually had learned to fight. He was hit again over the back with the baton. His eyesight blurred and all saw two troopers pull Rey's body towards the throne.

"Rey!!!" He shouted, reaching out a hand towards her as he was hit again. He used the Force to push away the trooper attacking him and stood up, swaying slightly. Hux just laughed as the troopers draped Rey across the stairs in front of the throne.

"Finish her!" Hux yelled at the troopers.


	25. Wild Things

*briefly inspired by 'Wild Things' by Alessia Cara*

"REY!!!!" Ben screamed, reaching for her as Hux commanded for her execution.

There was a loud bang as the doors to the room burst open and a cloud of smoke billowed through. His head turned at the commotion.

"GO GO GO!" Poe was shouting as he, Rose, and Finn came running through the smoke, shooting their blasters at the troopers.

Ben looked back towards Rey and he saw her bathed in an eerie blue light.

'Save her, Ben.' he heard in his head. He had to get to her and quick.

Ben staggered through the smoke and blaster shots, trying to get to Rey.

'I.... I can't.' he thought.

'Trust the Force.' The voice said again.

"I SAID KILL HER!" Hux screamed at the troopers, who had obviously become distracted at the arrival of the Resistance. When he realized they weren't listening to him. He angrily stomped over Rey's body and grabbed the baton off the floor as it lay next to the fallen body of the trooper who had wielded it against Ben.

He turned around and made his way back to the throne. He hovered above Rey and activated the electricity of the baton. He held it with both hands and raised it above his head, ready to strike.

'NOW BEN!' said the voice. Ben grunted as he reached for Hux with the Force. The baton clattered out of Hux's hands and Hux was raised up off the floor.

"Solo..." Hux began to choke.

"You should have never ignored my orders, General." Ben growled as he limped towards Hux's hovering figure. His hand open and shaking.

"And you should have never called her a bitch, you bastard." Ben said.

He clenched his open fist shut and crushed Hux's windpipe, the crack of his vertebrae echoing in the room. Ben flung Hux's lifeless body to the side and rushed towards Rey.

"Rey? Can you hear me?" Ben asked as he gently picked up her head.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but she is alive." said a voice. Ben looked up, alarmed to see the ghost of Luke standing above them.

"Uncle?" Ben asked as he cradled Rey in his arms. Luke just merely nodded to him.

"The others..." Ben said, as Poe and Finn were still fighting off the last of the troopers.

"Trust in the Force Ben." Said another voice. Ben looked up to Luke's right.

"Grandfather?" Ben gasped.

"Go now." Anakin said. Ben heaved himself off the steps, using the Force to lift Rey up.

"She needs medical attention!" Ben shouted to Poe.

"BB-8!" Poe shouted. BB-8 whirled his head around and stopped zapping a fallen trooper.

"Rey is injured! Go with Ben!" Poe instructed. BB-8 gave a squeal and zipped out of the room after Ben.

In the docking bay, Ben lifted Rey's body into the back portion of Poe's X-Wing. BB-8 hoisted himself up into the ship and started the engine.

"Punch it BB-8." Ben said to the droid as they took off from the cruiser.

XXX

Ben landed the X-Wing on the Eravana, a tall woman running up to meet him. BB-8 beeped rapidly at her.

"The medical ward is this way." the woman told him. They rushed Rey down a hall and into a small room with a metallic table in the middle. Ben set Rey on the table, and leaned back against the wall, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

The woman looked up at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Benny?" She asked. Ben's head snapped back up. Only one person had ever called him that. He studied her face slowly.

"Bloom?" Ben asked quietly.

"I should kill you now." Bloom told Ben as she attached an IV bag to Rey's arm. BB-8 gave beeps of protest.

"But BB-8 says Poe still needs to kick your ass. So I'll refrain." Bloom tore open Rey's burnt linen, exposing the blaster wound and Ben felt sick at the sight. Bloom immediately began tending to the wound. A few moments later, C3-PO entered the room.

"Ms. Calrissian, there is an incoming message from the First Order cruiser." He informed her. He turned as he spotted Ben, who quickly tried to hide his face with his hair.

"Oh! Oh my! Ben Solo! I mean... Kylo Ren!" C3-PO said, startled.

"It's Ben." Ben told the droid.

"Oh! Oh, of course!" He said, giving sort of a nod. R2-D2 wheeled himself into the room, making it feel tiny and cramped. His projector whirred to life and he began the incoming transmission.

"Attention passengers, this is your Captain speaking." Poe announced. Bloom rolled her eyes.

"Yes Captain?" Bloom asked the transmission.

"We have successfully captured the cruiser." Poe announced proudly.

"And the First Order?"

"Most of them have been taken care of. We still have some prisoners on board. Did Ben make it back?"

"Yes. He's here with Rey."

"Is she going to be okay?" Poe asked. Bloom looked down at Rey's unconscious body on the table.

"I hope so." Bloom answered truthfully.

"We're going to dock the cruiser. Send Chewie so we can evacuate." Poe said, ending the communication.

"You heard him." Bloom told C3-PO.

"Yes ma'am." C3-PO said, nodding to Bloom and exiting with R2-D2.

Bloom looked over at Ben.

"I'm going to get the medical staff. There isn't much more I can do for her." She told him. Ben nodded.

"And you should get yourself checked out as well."

"I'm fine." Ben told her.

"Suit yourself." Bloom said with a shrug and she exited the room.

XXX

Rey woke with a start. There was a bright light above her and she squinted her eyes. She went to move her hands to shield her face but one of her arms was restricted by a handful of clear tubes that wrapped around her hand and wrist.

She raised her head, and looked around. She was in a white room that looked familiar. Her heart began to race when she realized it was the medical ward in the hangers on Naboo.

"Ben?" She called out to the empty room.

There was a scuffle outside the door and Ben burst in, shortly followed by Poe, Rose, and Finn.

"Rey!" Finn said happily.

"You're awake!" said Poe.

"How are you feeling?" Rose asked.

"She asked for ME." Ben said to the others, a grumpy look in his face. Rey sat up, wincing in pain as she did so.

"What happened?" Rey asked.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Finn asked.

"I remember being shot by Hux. And after that.... Nothing." Rey said, she gingerly reached her un tethered hand to her side where she felt thick gauze and padding around her middle.

"Well, after you left in the elevator, I stayed behind with the other Resistance members and we fought off the rest of the Stormtroopers." Finn said.

"Then Rose and I went back to disable the weapons system." Poe said.

"You did it Rose!" Rey cheered weakly. Rose beamed.

"And Hux?" Rey asked, looking to Ben.

"He's dead." Ben said. "The First Order is no more."

"We've commandeered their cruiser. We've offered the remaining First Order members the chance to join the New Resistance." Poe continued.

"And?" Rey asked. Poe shrugged.

"A few decided to join. The others we're going to send to the prison on Coruscant."

Rey leaned back against the pillows on her bed and sighed.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help more." Rey told her friends.

"Don't say that." Said Rose. "We won! We kept Leia's promise. Naboo is safe. "

"We still need to finish removing all the crashed TIE fighters though." Finn reminded Poe and Rose.

"Don't remind me." Rose said. "I'm still exhausted from that battle."

Rey lightly laughed.

"May I have a moment with Ben?" Rey asked her friends.

"Sure." Rose said, grabbing Poe's arm in one hand and Finn's in the other. "Come on boys."

She dragged them out of the room as they stared daggers at Ben. Poe used his free hand to motion to Ben that he was watching him as the door shut behind them.

Ben stepped forward to the bed and took Rey's free hand in his.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes. You?" She asked.

"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you." Ben said.

"They shielded me, Ben. Luke and Anakin. Did you see them?" Rey asked him. Ben nodded.

"They kept you safe until I could get to Hux." he told her. Rey sighed and she closed her eyes.

"You were wrong." she said to him.

"Excuse me?"

Rey giggled and opened her eyes again.

"You thought I was joining you against the Resistance. You were wrong."

Ben frowned.

"Does it even matter anymore?" He asked.

"Of course it matters. We fulfilled our destiny Ben." Rey said, squeezing his hand.

"I knew there was still light in you." She whispered to him. "I had hope for you."

Ben smiled slightly before leaning down to kiss her.

"You're my new hope." He said.

XXX

It was now eight months after the First Order was forced to disband.

Lieutenant Connix was chosen as the General of the New Resistance. Poe had been promoted to Commander again. Rose was given Connix's old position as a Lieutenant. Not to be left out, Finn was given the rank of Captain.

Rey had been offered a role as a Commander with the New Resistance, but she politely declined.

"I'm meant for something more." Rey had told Poe when he had offered her to be his second in command.

"I understand." Poe had told her.

The New Resistance continued to host ground operations on Naboo. The Queen granted them permission to expand the hangers into a full fledged base.

Bloom had returned to Cloud City a few months after the new base had been established. She promised Poe she would start up a New Resistance base there as one of their main allies. Other planets did the same, vowing their allegiance.

On a sunny day, Rey was packing up the Falcon as it sat on the fresh tarmac of the Naboo base.

"Tell her we said 'hello'." Finn told Rey as he helped load multiple boxes of supplies onto the ship.

"I will." Rey said, smiling to Finn as he passed her a crate.

"And let us know when we can come visit." Rose said.

"Of course. You'll be our first guests." Rey assured her. Rose reached out for her and Rey wrapped her friend tightly in a hug.

Poe came out of the Falcon.

"That's the last of it." He said. He propped and arm on Rey's shoulder.

"Are you sure you have to go?" He asked her. "The job is yours if you want it." He told her for what felt like the hundredth time.

Rey laughed.

"Maybe if this doesn't turn out." She told him. He winked at her.

"Deal." He said.

"Hey, we doing this or what?" Ben said, poking his head down the ramp of the Falcon.

"Coming!" Rey called to him. She wrapped each of her friends up in a hug and gave BB-8 a scratch under his chin. She went up the ramp to the Falcon, waving goodbye as the ramp closed and the doors hissed shut.

She made her way to the cockpit where Chewie and Ben were prepping the Falcon for take off.

"It'll be okay." Ben said to her, sensing her emotions. "It's not like you'll never see them again."

"But what if this doesn't work out?" She said, trying to hold back from blubbering. Chewie roared.

"Chewie is right." Ben said, flipping a switch on the dash of the Falcon. "Trust the Force."

Rey sighed as she looked out the front of the Falcon as they began to depart Naboo.

After a jump through hyperspace, they landed on Takodana. Chewie growled at Rey and Ben as they made their way off the Falcon.

"I can't promise she won't come looking for you." Rey told Chewie as they disembarked. Chewie roared back at her, causing Ben to snicker.

"We'll be back soon." Rey told Chewie as he shut the door after them.

Ben and Rey walked up to the restored castle belonging to Maz Kanata. It had been almost a year since the First Order had attacked the structure, leaving massive portions of the castle destroyed. While Maz had been out adventuring, the workers she had employed to fix it up had brought almost all of the castle back to a functional building.

Rey pushed open the doors to the castle, one of Maz's droids nodding to her.

"Where is she?" Ben asked looking around the dimly lit establishment.

"REY!!!" Maz cried, popping up from behind a counter. She leapt over the counter and held open her arms.

"Hi Maz!" Rey said, leaning down to hug the woman. Rey straightened herself.

"Finn and the others say 'hello'." Rey said, relaying their message. Maz gave Rey a funny look.

"Ah, but where is my boyfriend?" she asked.

"He's back at the Falcon." Rey said.

"Still traveling in that hunk of junk?"

Ben snickered. Rey shot him a look.

Maz quickly grabbed for Ben's hand, pulling it down hard so he bent over.

"You destroyed my castle." She said to him.

"I - uh." Ben stuttered. She let go of his hand and made a beckoning motion to the two.

"This way." Maz said, turning back to the counter she had leapt over, grabbing a tray of drinks.

Ben and Rey followed Maz to a table in the back of the castle. There was a map spread out on the table that was printed on old yellowed paper. It was ripped in several places around the sides and the edges curled up.

"I found it like you asked." Maz told Rey. Rey leaned on the table, gazing at the expanse of it.

"These are all the Jedi temples?" She asked.

"What's left." Maz replied. "I've marked where they've been destroyed." Maz said. She pointed a finger at Ben.

"You've destroyed a lot of things." she said to him. Ben frowned.

Rey frowned as well as she scanned the map, flattening it out with her hand as she examined it.

"There aren't many left." She said sadly.

"Isn't that the point?" Ben spoke up.

"But how can I start a training academy if there are no viable temples?" Rey said over her shoulder to Ben. Maz just smirked.

Rey walked around the edges of the table, back and forth, smoothing the map as she went.

"What about this one?" She asked Maz.

"It's on the other side of the outer rim." Maz said. "But it could work."

"Lothal?" Ben asked, his voice objecting. "There's nothing but farms there now." He said almost disgusted.

"Then its perfect." Rey said. Ben made a face.

"Can you get me the coordinates Maz?" Rey asked, starting to roll up the map.

Maz nodded and walked off.

"I think you'll like it there." Rey said to Ben. Ben just crossed his arms.

"You're lucky I like you." Ben told her defiantly.

"You more than like me." Rey said, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "You'd do anything for me." She said. Ben grumbled.

"This academy is your idea." Ben reminded her. "I can't just let you go off in the galaxy by yourself."

"You'll help too." Rey said. Ben made a face again. Maz had returned. Rey handed Maz the map in exchange for the coordinates chip that Maz held out to her.

"If you know of anyone sensitive with the Force and in need of guidance, please send them to me." Rey told Maz. "I plan to be doing some scouting as well."

Maz nodded. She took Rey's hand and patted it gently.

"I admire your enthusiasm to train a new generation of Jedi." Maz told her. "You will do great things."

"Thank you, Maz." Rey said, smiling.

"Take it easy now." Maz said, letting go of Rey's hand. "Stress isn't good for the baby."

"The baby?" Rey and Ben said at the same time.

Rey looked up at Ben and he down at her. Both their eyes wide.

"Yes. The baby." Maz said, pointing at Rey's stomach. "You did not know?" She quickly adjusted her giant glasses back and forth.

"Oooops." Maz said, giving a shrug to her shoulder, smirking slightly.

Ben fainted.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please look for the sequel - 'Solo - a Reylo Family Fan Fiction'.


End file.
